Health care is an important issue within the 2024 election—Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump have very different records on the difficulty. Rather than specializing in what they promise to do, let's examine what their actions to this point say about their approach to Medicare, the Affordable Healthcare Actpublic health infrastructure, drug policy and prevention of kid abuse and domestic violence.
As Specialist in public health history and policyI even have fastidiously reviewed each candidates' records on American health care. My years of experience in health care and my very own experience with cystic fibrosis have given me a deep understanding of our health care system and the political dynamics that shape it.
For me, as for a lot of other Americans, health care is greater than only a political issue; it’s a deeply personal matter.
medical insurance
During Harris' time within the Senate, she co-initiated the Medicare for All Actwhose goal was to increase Medicare to all Americans and thus effectively abolish private medical insurance.
At the presidential debate on September 10, 2024, Harris highlighted her previous support for Medicare for All by repeating her previous legislative efforts to preserve and expand protection for patient rights and access to inexpensive healthcare.
Harris' legislative efforts, particularly from 2017-2020, reflect her commitment to expanding access to Medicare and lowering costs for seniors. During that point, Harris pushed for the Medicare program to barter drug prices directly with pharmaceutical firms.
Later, as Vice President, Harris threw a decisive vote on the Inflation Reduction Act 2022which allows the federal government to barter drug prices for Medicare with pharmaceutical firms.
In contrast, Trump made several, partly successful, attempts during his presidency to Reduction in Medicare fundingThe budget proposed by his government for 2020 included cuts to Medicare totaling greater than $800 billion over 10 years, primarily by reducing payments to providers and slowing program growth.
The proposed cuts didn’t go into effect because they required congressional approval, which was not granted. The plan faced considerable opposition as a consequence of concerns about possible negative impacts on the beneficiaries.
Affordable Healthcare Act
Harris is a staunch defender of the Affordable Healthcare Actalso often known as ACA or “Obamacare”. As a senator, Harris has consistently voted against all efforts to repeal the ACAShe advocated an extension of the provisions, including support for laws aimed toward strengthen protection for individuals with pre-existing conditions And Increase funding for Medicaid expansion.
Harris' record shows a clear commitment to broader medical insurance under the ACA. And within the recent debate Harris acknowledged this record and reaffirmed her commitment to motion.
During his presidency, Trump made quite a few efforts repeal the ACA, including the American Health Care Act of 2017which significantly limited the scope of the Medicaid expansion and Individual mandates.
Although these efforts ultimately failed within the Senate, Trump succeeded in weakening the ACA by Elimination of the penalty for individual insurance obligation through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017In the talk against Harris, Trump reiterated his position He said the Affordable Care Act was “a lousy health care system,” but ultimately offered no substitute plan, saying only that he had “concepts for a plan.”
Public health infrastructure
Harris' tenure within the Senate from January 2017 to January 2021 shows a consistent pattern of support for public health infrastructure. She co-sponsored several bills aimed toward Increase funding for community health centres And Expanding access to preventive care.
Harris also called for more federal funding to handle public health emergencies, equivalent to the Opioid epidemic and the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, during Trump's presidency, he made significant cuts to public health programs. Trump administration proposes budget cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies, arguing that they were needed for fiscal responsibility. These proposals have drawn criticism for potentially undermining the country's ability to answer health emergencies. a priority underscored by the CDC's efforts within the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump often responded to this criticism by claiming that he “reduce bureaucratic burden“ as an alternative of essential services.
Drug pricing policy
Harris also supported laws to lower drug prices and increase transparency within the pharmaceutical industry. She was co-initiator of the Drug Price Relief Actaimed toward giving the federal government the power to directly negotiate drug prices for Medicare. She also supported efforts to import cheaper pharmaceuticals from Canada. Her record reflects a deal with reducing costs for consumers and Improving access to inexpensive medicines.
Trump's record on drug policy is mixed. While Trump took some initiatives during his presidency to scale back the worth of pharmaceuticals, crucial regulatory changes of his administration were preferred pharmaceutical firmsThe government's attempts to implement a rule Permission to import cheaper medicines from Canada confronted significant hurdles and didn’t result in immediate changes.
Trump also lifted a rule that Pharmaceutical firms must disclose drug prices in television advertisementsand expressed concerns about its legality.
Child abuse and domestic violence
Harris has long been committed to stopping child abuse and domestic violence. her time as Attorney General of California and as a Senator, Harris pushed for laws that increased funding for domestic violence prevention programs And prolonged legal protection for survivorsShe has consistently supported measures to enhance child welfare Services and Improving coordination between authorities to guard children.
Trump’s record on these issues is less clear, but his administration Signing of the Family First Prevention Services Actaimed toward placing more children safely in homes and out of foster care by providing families with latest resources. However, critics argue that the Trump administration more comprehensive cuts to social advantages and health programs could not directly undermine efforts to combat child abuse and domestic violence. In addition, some experts imagine that Trump’s Family separation policy on the southern border contributed to a rise in child trauma during his term in office.
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