ACA Reemerges As Campaign Issue: Harris Warns Trump Would Slash Law; Trump Says He Wouldn’t End It
The Affordable Care Act is once again kicking up campaign fodder in the final days of this year's presidential election. Kamala Harris warns that Donald Trump would slash Obamacare if reelected. Trump says he never wanted to end the law. The debate raises broader questions about what health agencies and policy face under a possible second Trump White House.
Reuters:
Harris Warns Trump Will Slash Obamacare; Trump Says He Never Mentioned It
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris warned voters on Thursday that Republican Donald Trump and his allies would scale back healthcare programs if he wins the White House and said his comments at a Wednesday rally were offensive to women. In a brief press conference, Vice President Harris reminded voters that former President Trump had tried unsuccessfully to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, during his 2017-2021 presidency. (Mason and Oliphant, 11/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Says Obamacare 'Sort Of Sucks' But He Won't End It
Donald Trump said the Affordable Care Act “sucks” but denied that he wanted to end the healthcare law, commonly known as Obamacare. Vice President Kamala Harris has charged that Trump and Republicans want to kill the politically polarizing program, which broadened health coverage for Americans and protected people with pre-existing medical conditions. (Andrews, 11/1)
The New York Times:
How A Second Trump Term Could Recast Public Health
The Covid pandemic dominated the last years of Donald Trump’s presidency, and the discontent it caused most likely contributed to his loss in 2020. But on the campaign trail this year, Mr. Trump rarely talks in depth about public health, dwelling instead on immigration, the economy and his grievances. Still, Project 2025, the blueprint for a new Republican administration shaped by many former Trump staff members, lays out momentous changes to the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health. (Mandavilli, 10/31)
Vox:
Donald Trump’s Election Could Allow Republicans To Make Big Health Care Cuts
If you’re confused, it’s not an accident. Republicans are trying to have it both ways on health care during the 2024 campaign. They boast that they want to deregulate insurance and massively cut government spending, yet they also claim that they would never do anything to endanger people’s coverage. (Scott, 10/31)
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?' Podcast:
The Campaign’s Final Days
It’s the final days of the 2024 campaign, and Republicans are suddenly talking again about making changes to the Affordable Care Act if former President Donald Trump wins. Meanwhile, new reporting uncovers more maternal deaths under state abortion bans — and a case in which a Nevada woman was jailed after a miscarriage. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Irving Washington, a senior vice president at KFF and the executive director of its Health Misinformation and Trust Initiative. (10/31)
