With less than 100 days until election day between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, health care is set to be a major talking point between now and Nov. 5.
From healthcare affordability to abortion access and Medicare funding, Trump and Harris have different visions for how they hope to improve healthcare as a whole. Republican and Democratic party platforms explain how each candidate will govern if elected.
The race for the White House is currently in a dead heat. A CBS News poll released on Sunday gave Harris a one-point edge over Trump in a head-to-head matchup and a two-point lead over Trump when third-party candidates Robert Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein, and Cornell West are included.
An ABC News/Iposos poll from May gives an idea of the top issues for voters in 2024. Healthcare was the fourth top issue for voters, behind the economy, inflation, and crime/safety. Access to abortion ranked ninth on the list of issues.
Healthcare under Harris
Last week, Harris officially notched enough delegates to become the Democratic presidential nominee after the party rallied around her after the announcement President Joe Biden would not seek a second term. Harris will have the chance to make her vision for America during the Democratic National Convention that runs Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
Abortion under Harris
Harris has made abortion access, or “reproductive freedom,” one of her key talking points thus far in the campaign. It comes after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022 reversed the protections under Roe v. Wade.
The Roe decision provided women with the constitutional right to seek an abortion. Although Harris and fellow Democrats are yet to host their convention, the party’s 80-page rough draft platform hits Trump for appointing three conservative judges to the Supreme Court who favor the Dobbs decision. Harris and Democrats say they plan to codify the provisions of Roe into federal law.
More than 1 in 3 women of reproductive age in America now live in a state with a Trump abortion ban.
undefined Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 29, 2024
When I am President of the United States, I will sign a law restoring and protecting reproductive freedom in every state. pic.twitter.com/ka8f8zI145
Healthcare affordability under Harris
Harris has shifted away from the “Medicare For All” plan that she proposed during her run for the Democratic nomination in 2020. The Vice President has signaled her support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed under the Obama administration. Currently, over 45 million have low-premium health insurance plans with to related to the ACA.
The Medicaid expansion is a provision under the ACA that extends Medicaid coverage to low-income nonelderly adults. Since Medicaid varies state-by-state, states must individually pass the Medicaid expansion for adults to become eligible. Harris and Democrats seek to expand Medicaid-esque coverage to those in who currently dont have access.
Support for Medicare under Harris
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, insulin was capped at $35 per month for nearly 4 million Medicare seniors. However, due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare can negotiate directly with drug companies to improve access to 10 costly drugs. Democrats hope to see that drug number increase to 500 within a decade.
Harris and Democrats say a second Trump administration would cut programs for seniors like Social Security and Medicare. The rough draft platform notes under their party’s leadership, Democrats will seek to “expand traditional Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing services.”
Healthcare under Trump
Trump is seeking to become the first president to reclaim the White House since Grover Clevland became the 22nd and 24th in the late 1800s. The 2024 short and concise 16-page Republican Party Platform is based on Trump’s vision for America, which is emphasized in his 20-point list titled “Agenda 47,” available on his campaign website for viewing.
Abortion under Trump
Trump takes credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who were a part of the Dobbs decision. For the first time in 40 years, the GOP platform does not advocate for an abortion ban, despite jabs from the Harris camp that Trump and Vice Presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) are seeking such. Trump accuses Harris and Democrats of supporting late-term abortions.
Trump says the Dobbs decision gives the power back to the people by individual states drafting their own abortion laws. So far, 24 states have passed various laws that restrict abortion. The 2024 Republican Platform states, "We will oppose late-term abortion while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”
Healthcare affordability under Trump
Trump has been a strong adversary of the ACA. Despite attempts to repeal “Obamacare” during his first administration, he plans to fight back against ACA in his second. Unlike Harris and Democrats who seek to add funding to the ACA, Trump plans to focus on market competition for plans.
According to their platform, Republicans will seek to “promote choice and competition, and expand access to new affordable healthcare and prescription drug options.”
Trump and Republicans say the rise in undocumented immigrants under the Biden-Harris Administration has caused healthcare prices to rise.
Support for Medicare under Trump
President Trump will NOT cut one penny from Social Security or Medicare, and will not raise the retirement age by one day. He kept that promise for 4 years and will keep it again.
undefined Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) July 28, 2024
By contrast, Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to cut Medicare by $237 billion dollars—a… pic.twitter.com/cULxBmlSkN
Despite claims Trump will cut Medicare, Trump and Republicans say they will not cut any funding from Medicare. The Republican platform headed by Trump states, “We vow to strengthen Medicare for future generations.”
Trump has continuously blamed undocumented immigrants let in under the Biden-Harris Administration for what he and Republicans say is placing Medicare funding in jeopardy.
Americans are eligible to receive Medicare at 65 or earlier depending on disabilities. Democrats have accused Trump of supporting raising the retirement age, an idea supported by some Republicans like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump vows he will not raise the retirement age if granted another term.
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