The Political Side of Health Care: Trump vs. Biden’s Plans

Health care is notorious for being politicized, and election season turns up the heat on issues that affect the insured and the uninsured alike. While many citizens advocate for a more universal health care system, others feel strongly that a single-payer system, or one that further meshes health care with the government, would only increase the chaos and they would like health care to be further privatized. This year’s candidates have very different plans for health care as the country moves forward into 2021.
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Trump’s Plan for Health Care

• President Trump tends to favor the traditional Republican positions on health care including patients’ choice of doctor and limited governmental involvement when it comes to medical care. He, like other Republicans, does not approve of a universal system and wants to limit spending on prescription drugs.

• Abolishing the Affordable Care Act Trump considers the Affordable Care Act, which is commonly known as Obamacare, to be a “horrendous disaster”. He instead wants to focus on lowering the cost of prescription drugs and reforming government-issued health care coverage like Medicare.

• Privatization of Medicare Trump is opposed to a single-payer health care system, socialized health care, and Medicare for All. He does not want to get rid of Medicare, though: Instead, he wants to focus on privatizing the system in hopes of expanding coverage for elderly, rural Americans.

• Returning to Normal Life with COVID-19 Trump believes that he acted accordingly when informed of the risk of COVID-19 by banning travel to and from certain countries in Europe and Asia. He is not opposed to masks, but he wants to strike down mask mandates across the country and work toward a return to normal.

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Biden’s Plan for Health Care

It may not surprise voters to learn that Biden, as a Democrat, favors the government’s involvement in health care more so that President Trump does. Biden believes that the Trump administration has not done enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and he is concerned that many Americans will lose their coverage without certain protections.

• Keeping the Affordable Care Act As Biden was Vice President when the ACA was implemented, he is naturally in favor of the act. In addition to simply keeping it around, he wants to expand several parts of its coverage for Americans including care for undocumented immigrants and women seeking birth control and options for terminating unwanted pregnancies

• Expanding Medicare Biden, in complete opposition to Trump, wants to expand Medicare for the 4.9 billion Americans who do not have any kind of coverage. He does not support Medicare for All. Instead of simply lowering prescription drug prices, he wants to match them with other countries’ prices on prescription drugs.

• Paid Maternity Leave It may surprise you to know that though the United States is one of the world’s richest countries, employers are not required to offer paid parental leave for their employees. Biden believes that it is essential to provide a period of paid maternity leave for all US workers.

• Increasing Protections against COVID-19 Biden wants to increase mask mandates around the country as well as protections in schools, workplaces, and restaurants. While he wants the country to return to normal eventually, he believes that the threat of COVID-19 is far from over and that we must act now to save lives.

If you are an independent or undecided voter this election season, the above breakdown may provide you with clarity regarding both candidates' health care plans. Remember to do your civic duty and vote this year! For more information about health care and choosing the right health insurance for yourself and your family, contact Sackett & Associates today.

Sources:
https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/resources/individual-and-family/where-2020-candidates-stand-healthcare
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-calls-obamacare-a-horrendous-disaster-1496861128
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/27/maternity-leave-us-policy-worst-worlds-richest-countries
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-medicare-for-all-would-look-like-in-america