NY Republican congressional candidate pushes for public healthcare option

Republican congressional candidate Andrew McCarthy said that he supports a public healthcare option, something typically supported by Democrats.

McCarthy, an Air Force veteran and military intelligence analyst, is running as a self-described "America First" Republican in New York's 23rd district. The district is expected to be in central or western New York when the state legislature completes its redistricting.

McCarthy said his healthcare plan would not take the place of private health insurance, but would be an option for those who can't afford insurance but don't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.

"I believe in the market for healthcare. I believe in private health insurance, and most people have private healthcare policies, but the public option would be a means-tested scenario, which means it would take care of our most vulnerable," McCarthy told Hill.TV's "Rising."

Eligible individuals would need to meet specific criteria in order to qualify for the plan, which McCarthy emphasized would not apply to people in the country illegally.

"It would be socioeconomic and demographically targeted so people who sort of fall in the middle would have an option. It's more of the foundation of our healthcare platform, it's not the sole end all and be all," he said.