Voters In Trump Country Are Staggeringly Unhealthy, But They Don’t Expect An Easy Fix
The communities in which support for Donald Trump runs deep also share another defining characteristic: poor health. But no one there thinks either candidate will do anything to change that. In other news, The Associated Press offers a look at the candidates' proposals to curb opioid abuse, an economist deems Trump's health policy "garbage salad," and experts say selling insurance across state lines is better in theory than in practice.
Stat:
In Trump’s America, Towns In Poor Health Don’t Think He Will Save Them
This is an unhealthy place. Its residents die younger than all but a few other counties in this important swing state. The suicide rate is well above the national average. Brown County saw a 50 percent increase in drug overdose deaths over two years. In one barn at this year’s fair, people stop to learn how to administer Narcan, the opioid overdose medication. On a wet September afternoon, the booth still had visitors. About 130 miles west of here, not far from Indiana Governor Mike Pence’s office, nearly 200 people in a town of 4,000 have been diagnosed with HIV, acquired while they injected heroin and liquefied prescription painkillers. (Scott, 10/11)
The Associated Press:
On Opioid Epidemic, Clinton Offers More Specifics Than Trump
Hillary Clinton calls the scourge of heroin and opioid addiction a "quiet epidemic." Donald Trump marvels that overdoses are a problem in picturesque American communities. "How does heroin work with these beautiful lakes and trees?" he said recently in New Hampshire. "It doesn't." Both presidential candidates agree drug addiction is a major problem in America, but only Clinton has offered a detailed plan to tackle it as part of her campaign. (Ronayne, 10/10)
Morning Consult:
Gruber: Trump’s Health Policy Is ‘Garbage Salad’
After Donald Trump brought up MIT economist Jonathan Gruber in Sunday night’s debate, Gruber struck back, calling Trump’s health policy plans “garbage salad.” Gruber helped write the Affordable Care Act, which Trump railed against during the debate. “My only comment is that last night showed the difference between a candidate with a strong and coherent health care agenda (Clinton) and one with a garbage salad of right wing talking points (Trump),” Gruber wrote in an email to the Boston Business Journal. (Owens, 10/10)
The Hill:
Jonathan Gruber Hits Back At Trump Over ObamaCare Criticism
Jonathan Gruber is firing back at Donald Trump after the Republican presidential nominee called him out for comments about ObamaCare. “My only comment is that last night showed the difference between a candidate with a strong and coherent health care agenda (Clinton) and one with a garbage salad of right wing talking points (Trump),” Gruber, a professor at MIT, wrote in a statement, as first reported by Boston Business Journal. (Sullivan, 10/10)
Modern Healthcare:
Experts Say Selling Insurance Across State Lines Not A Solution
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump once again touted the idea of allowing health insurance to be sold across state lines at the second general election debate Sunday, despite multiple analyses that show such a policy could substantially damage the individual market and roll back protections that consumers have come to rely on. Trump has not provided details for how selling insurance across state lines would be regulated. (Muchmore, 10/10)
For more on selling across state lines, check out KHN's video: Sounds Like A Good Idea? Selling Insurance Across State Lines.
Kaiser Health News:
Trump’s Debate Claim On Health Care Costs: It Depends What You Mean By ‘Cost’
Health care finally came up as an issue in the second presidential debate in St. Louis Sunday night. But the discussion may have confused more than clarified the issue for many voters. During the brief exchange about the potential fate of the Affordable Care Act, Republican Donald Trump said this: “Obamacare is a disaster. You know it. We all know it. It’s going up at numbers that nobody’s ever seen worldwide. Nobody’s ever seen numbers like this for health care. (Rovner, 10/10)
