Health care is an important issue for many Americans when they head to the polls to vote.
Scripps News previously went in-depth on where President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump differ on reproductive rights — which is part of the health care debate. But what about other health care policies?
Affordable Care Act
Take for instance the Affordable Care Act, which is at the heart of many health policy debates.
It was signed into law by President Obama in 2010 and created an exchange so anyone could get health insurance. The law opened the door for states to expand Medicaid and permitted children to stay on parents’ plans until age 26.
President Biden supports the law and efforts to expand it. He has boasted about how many Americans are currently getting health care because of it.
Former President Trump during his first term tried to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. In a Truth Social post last year, Trump said, “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Health care. I’m seriously looking at alternatives.”
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Areas of agreement
There are some areas of agreement between Trump and President Biden on health care. For instance, on price transparency.
Former President Trump signed into law the “No Surprises Act,” which cracks down on unexpected bills for some patients. Trump also ordered hospitals to publish prices for some services.
President Biden has supported both of those efforts.
Prescription drugs
You can’t talk health care without talking about prescription drugs.
President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which caps out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month for Medicare enrollees and allows Medicare to negotiate with drug companies. Beginning in 2025, the law will cap out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year for those on Medicare.
Former President Trump has spoken critically of that law and has vowed to repeal it.
On prescription drugs, Trump did support other forms of reform while in office, and gave speeches where he said drug companies don’t like him. He backs new regulations for drugs to be imported from Canada and supports efforts to cut out the middleman from drug discounting programs.
