Health care has largely taken a back seat during the presidential campaign and the lack of focus has left the public wanting more.
Two in three Americans (67%) surveyed by Gallup and West Health (Sept. 9-16) say that health care is getting too little focus in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats are more likely (78%) than Republicans (53%) to say health care hasn’t received enough attention.
That response is likely because the candidates have been light on the details when it comes to most topics concerning health care in America:
- Harris has focused on lowering prescription drug prices; expanding Medicare coverage for long-term care; working with states to cancel medical debt; and supporting the restoration of federal abortion rights.
- Trump says he supports IVF coverage, but abortion should be left to the states. And during the Sept. 10 debate he said that he has only a “concept” of a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act.
Both candidates promise to protect Medicare.
According to a September poll by Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the health care-related issues that voters most care about include abortion (7%); Medicare and Social Security (7%) and health care costs, including prescription drug costs (5%).
Most of the candidates’ proposals would only move forward with support from Congress. NerdWallet spoke with three health care policy experts to get their take on what Trump and Harris have in store for health care.
Prescription drugs
Harris
- Harris has said she wants to lower prescription drug prices. Under 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act, a provision allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. It also added a $2,000 cap on all out-of-pocket drug expenses. In addition, the Biden-Harris administration capped insulin at $35 for seniors. Harris wants to extend these cost-saving measures to all Americans.
- She also wants to expedite Medicare prescription drug negotiations.
- And she proposed to “increase competition and demand…
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