Harris Pushes to Make Health Care a Top Campaign Issue. Many Voters Agree
Vice President Kamala Harris is emphasizing the differences between her vision for affordable healthcare and the statements made by former President Donald Trump. Despite the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) not being a primary concern in this election cycle, Harris is ardently advocating for healthcare to take a prominent role in the campaign, hoping it will benefit Democrats at the polls as it has in previous elections.
This week, the Harris campaign launched a comprehensive advertising campaign focused on healthcare. One advertisement warns that Americans may lose their coverage and protections under Obamacare if Trump returns to power, while another highlights Harris’s initiatives aimed at reducing prescription drug prices, particularly insulin. More healthcare-related advertisements are expected to follow.
According to Levitt, executive vice president for health at KFF, a non-partisan health research organization, “Democrats consistently aim to emphasize healthcare because they possess a political edge over Republicans regarding this issue with voters.” He added, “Trump and Vance have opened themselves up to criticism by suggesting they might attempt to dismantle the ACA again, and the Harris campaign has seized that opportunity”.
In a contest where neither candidate has presented detailed policy plans, voters are eager for clarity on their healthcare options. Both Harris and Trump have committed on the campaign trail to making healthcare more affordable, addressing a longstanding issue for many Americans. Harris has outlined various objectives aimed at reducing costs and expanding coverage, including making the enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies permanent, expanding the $35 monthly cap on insulin, and accelerating Medicare drug price negotiations.
The Harris campaign’s efforts aim to highlight the potential risks to Obamacare’s protections for individuals with preexisting conditions if Trump were to regain the presidency. The report released by her campaign asserts that Trump and Vance would “strip away” coverage from those with preexisting conditions while increasing premiums, drug costs, and out-of-pocket expenses for millions of Americans.
In response, the Trump campaign accused Harris’s team of “lying because they are losing,” stating that President Trump is acutely aware of the healthcare challenges facing the nation and is committed to enhancing transparency, fostering choice and competition, and broadening access to healthcare and drug options.
