Now that Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic nomination, voters are waiting to see if Republican nominee Donald Trump will challenge her on important issues like health care.
Health care availability and costs are a concern for most Americans, the election shows, but mostly they have taken a backseat to this election season rollercoaster.
Trump continued to lash out against Obamacare earlier this year, but Agenda47, his legislative platform, laid out his plan for drug prices, supplies and supplements, and a promise to protect Medicare.
KFF, a health policy research and news organization, compares the policies of the two presidential candidates in each election cycle. But this year’s comparison was very difficult, and not just because of the recent change in the Democratic ticket.
KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said the column is difficult in part because Trump’s policy proposals are unclear.
“Trump avoids the details of policy and strategy, both as a personal trait and as a way of holding himself accountable and critical of the media,” Altman wrote, explaining that most candidates have put in a lot of research for of strategic plans. But this year, “the usual task of explaining the difference between the two candidates on health issues is a thousand game.”
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Trump canceled the first campaign issue of Obamacare, leaving the stage
In 2017, Congressional Republicans under the Trump administration failed to amend the Affordable Care Act. But Trump continued to bash the ACA, also known as Obamacare, while campaigning for the 2024 election.
“We’re going to fight for better health care than Obamacare. Obamacare is a disaster,” he said in a Jan. 6 campaign speech in Iowa.
Democrats in March sought to use the act, which helps make health care more affordable and policies easier to understand, as a rallying point for supporters.
Trump’s messages about Obamacare have been toned down in recent months. Instead, he’s raised the bar on immigration, accusing immigrants of using programs like Obamacare (undocumented immigrants are ineligible for Medicaid or coverage through the ACA marketplace unless otherwise specified). of the government, according to KFF.)
In Trump’s official Agenda47 platform, he dropped the promise to fully repeal Obamacare, instead vowing to lower drug prices, fix drug shortages, end drug addiction and protect Medicaid. The RNC’s official platform also doesn’t mention Obamacare or The Affordable Care Act, but promises to expand access to affordable health care. USA TODAY reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
In a column written after Harris emerged as Biden’s supporter, Altman compared Trump’s approach to immigration to patient adherence as a play for Harris’ health benefits.
“He has the Biden-Harris health care record to go on and he can play bad on health care and build himself up for abortion and health in general,” he said. Altman.
Agenda47 promises no ‘squishy’ Medicare cuts
Trump’s Agenda47 said that “no Republicans should vote to cut one penny from Medicare or Social Security,” blaming Biden for spending money elsewhere.
Altman called that promise “squishy,” and said that if Republicans want to cut federal health spending, it could come from Medicaid and the ACA.
While in office, Trump passed tax cuts that reduced the Medicare Part A Trust fund and eliminated a federal board designed to reduce Medicare spending, according to KFF.
But Altman said the Medicare reforms may not be complete, as some Republicans are advocating to change the structure of Medicare.
Contributor: Julie Rovner, KFF Health News; Rachel Looker, USA TODAY
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