Ezekiel Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives, and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, the person referred to as the "architect of Obamacare" and the author of Prescription for the Future: The Twelve Transformational Practices of Highly Effective Medical Organizations (PublicAffairs, 2017), defends Obamacare and takes issue with the Republican plan now in the Senate. In his new book, he examines medical practices that have managed to lower costs while keeping patients healthier -- including things as basic as how to schedule patient appointments (really!).

He also criticized the Republicans for designing their new health law behind closed doors, and when asked about the possibility of a single-payer system, he noted a few flaws in that system, and said it may work in New York...but "I would not stake my last nickel" on single payer in the United States..."I'd rather reform the system in other ways."

The "architect of Obamacare" is here -- Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: pic.twitter.com/iXRhu4DvLJ

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) June 5, 2017