During the 2008 presidential race, Barack Obama identified health care as a key issue for his campaign, resulting in the later establishment of the Affordable Care Act. In a similar manner, Mitt Romney’s unsuccessful 2012 campaign featured an endeavor to privatize Medicare. Even Bernie Sanders attempted to increase the scope of ‘Medicare for All’ during the strenuous 2020 Democratic primary against Joe Biden. These health care reform proposals have largely dictated the direction of past presidential elections.
However, in the latest political tangle between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, health care reform rhetoric has been surprisingly scarce. Instead, the spotlight has veered towards immigration, economic conditions, and a myriad of other topics as Election Day looms larger.
Debates over health care hold significant weight especially in New Jersey, a state where health care has rapidly morphed into the primary economic powerhouse. The state is equipped with 70 hospitals, hundreds of minor medical facilities, and hosts prominent pharmaceutical and biotech corporations such as Merck and Johnson & Johnson.
From 2000 to 2020, New Jersey witnessed the creation of over 127,000 new health care jobs, a growth rate that substantially outshone the overall private sector’s 13,000 new positions. Despite these strides, the state’s health equity leaves much to be desired. New Jersey’s Black populace remains disproportionately susceptible to a range of illnesses, as evident from state health data.
Given the omnipresent role health care plays in the lives of New Jersey residents, federal policy alterations over the next quadrennial are certainly poised to invoke a significant impact. However, both Harris and Trump seem to hold their cards close to their chest when it comes to detailed health care reform schemes. Trump’s presentation remains particularly minimalistic.
Trump’s online platform vaguely pledges to stave off Medicare reductions and retain the retirement age at 65 for availing benefits. In stark contrast to the fiscal conservatism of fellow Republican Party members advocating for raising the age to 69, Trump’s health care reform position is vaguely laid out as the 14th target out of a total of 20. He frequently hints at a replacement for the Affordable Care Act during campaigns, but specifics remain absent.
As president, Trump did bring certain reforms to fruition, one example being the requirement for hospitals to disclose prices online, boosting transparency. He also ratified the ‘No Surprises Act’, safeguarding patients from unexpected out-of-network charges during emergencies.
Conversely, Harris’s proposals seem focused on perpetuating the initiatives of the Biden administration. This includes curbing the price of essential prescription drugs, extending tax credits to lessen health care premiums, and prolonging Medicaid’s coverage of post-partum services for up to a year from the standard two months.
In a move that appears designed to pander to public sentiment, she proposes to clear billions in medical debt for millions of Americans. This is a trend already gaining traction in New Jersey, though Harris’s platform is notably less ambitious than it was during her own presidential run in the Democratic primary five years prior.
Once a supporter of Medicare for All alignment with Sanders, she has now reassessed her stance. It’s clear that she has pivoted towards Biden’s more central position on health care, perhaps in a bid to appear more reasonable and less radical, though the efficacy of this tactic remains to be seen.
Despite the glaring lack of health care discourse this year, abortion rights have ironically risen to the surface as a contentious topic in the electoral cycle. Harris and her fellow Democrats have been vocal in their criticism of Trump for boasting about appointing conservative justice who facilitated the monumental 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, thereby granting states the autonomy to determine the legality of abortion.
Harris has committed to ratifying a law reinstating a nationwide abortion right, contingent on Congress’s approval. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s wavering position seems to stem from a desperate attempt to navigate a path that doesn’t alienate female voters.
Initially, he publicly announced his opposition to a federal prohibition on abortion, and hesitated on backing Florida’s abortion amendment that aimed to nullify a statute prohibiting abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy. However, following backlash from conservatives over his previous stance that six weeks was too short, Trump backtracked and expressed his intention to vote against the proposal.
This race has shown that when it comes to addressing health care reform, both candidates have shown a certain reluctance to lay out detailed proposals. The politics of health care continue to be a hot button issue, and it remains to be seen which candidate’s approach will resonate with voters.