Affordable Care Act – watercress words by Dr Aletha

The Democratic Party- “Universal Health Care”

Democrats will keep up the fight until all Americans can access secure, affordable, high-quality health insurance—because as Democrats, we fundamentally believe health care is a right for all, not a privilege for the few.

I ‘ve started a series of blog posts that review each major party’s platform on healthcare and related issues. I take this information directly from the website of each party’s platform and include the link so you can read the complete document.

We’ve already looked at the parties’ views on gun violence and control. This post will look at health insurance.

Every office holder or candidate may or may not fully subscribe to their party’s platform. Whether you are registered as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or some other party, ultimately you will vote for a person. Do your research and learn what that person stands for.

Follow this blog so you’ll know when each post in the series is online.

Note: the photos are for illustration, are not affiliated with the party platform, and are not intended to influence your opinion.

The Democratic Party Platform

This party platform was considered by the 2020 Platform committee at its meeting July 27, 2020 and was approved by the Democratic National Convention August 18, 2020.

ACHIEVING UNIVERSAL, AFFORDABLE, QUALITY HEALTH CARE

Democrats have fought to achieve universal health care for a century. We are proud to be the party of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.

Because of the Obama-Biden Administration and the Affordable Care Act, more than 100 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, from heart disease to asthma, are secure in the knowledge that insurance companies can no longer discriminate against them. Women can no longer be charged more than men just because of their gender. And more Americans are able to get health coverage than ever before.

as Democrats, we fundamentally believe health care is a right for all, not a privilege for the few.

Securing Universal Health Care Through a Public Option

Democrats believe we need to protect, strengthen, and build upon our bedrock health care programs, including the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. Private insurers need real competition to ensure they have incentive to provide affordable, quality coverage to every American.

Choosing a public option through the ACA marketplace

To achieve that objective, we will give all Americans the choice to select a high-quality, affordable public option through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

The public option will provide at least one plan choice without deductibles; will be administered by CMS, not private companies; and will cover all primary care without any co-payments and control costs for other treatments by negotiating prices with doctors and hospitals, just like Medicare does on behalf of older people.

Everyone will be eligible to choose the public option or another Affordable Care Act marketplace plan. To help close the persistent racial gap in insurance rates, Democrats will expand funding for Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment programs, so every American knows their options for securing quality, affordable coverage.

Expand Medicare eligibility

And we will enable millions of older workers to choose between their employer-provided plans, the public option, or enrolling in Medicare when they turn 60, instead of having to wait until they are 65. Democrats are categorically opposed to raising the Medicare retirement age.

Americans should be able to access public coverage through a public option and those over 55 should be able to opt in to Medicare.

a senior adult couple relaxing in lawn chairs

Democrats will

empower the states to use innovation waivers under the ACA to develop unique locally tailored approaches to health coverage

work to end other practices that lead to out-of-control medical debt , repeal the excise tax on high-cost health insurance, reducing out-of-pocket expenses, and capping prescription drug costs

fight against insurers trying to impose excessive premium increases

fight any attempts by Republicans to privatize, voucherize, or phase out Medicare as we know it

oppose Republican plans to slash funding and block grant Medicaid and SNAP

keep fighting until the ACA’s Medicaid expansion has been adopted in every state

a nurse discussing blood pressure with a patient. — This photograph was taken during a blood pressure (BP) screening exercise that was being conducted by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) nurses in order to help employees monitor their blood pressure. photo compliments of Yvonne Green, RN, CNM, MSN, from the Centers for Disease Control collection

Supporting Community Health Centers

We also know that finally covering every American through the public and private insurance system alone is not enough to guarantee universal access.

Investing in Community and Rural health clinics

That is why Democrats support doubling investments in community health centers and rural health clinics in underserved urban and rural areas,

including increased support for dental care, mental health care, and substance use services like medication-assisted treatment, support for mobile health clinics.

a female physician talking to a male patient — FROM LIGHTSTOCK.COM, AFFILIATE LINK

Grow the healthcare work force

We will expand the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program to grow a diverse primary care workforce and to address critical shortages of health care providers in medically underserved rural and urban areas, including primary care nurses, dental professionals, and mental health and substance use counselors.

exploring the HEART of healthcare change

I appreciate your interest in the politics of healthcare, an issue that is vital to all of us every day. These proposals will become more focussed and debated as election day approaches; the national election is Tuesday November 1, 2022. Please exercise your right to vote, I intend to.

Medical stethoscope and heart on a textured background

Dr Aletha

The Republican Party-“Affordable high quality healthcare”

We must recover the traditional patient-physician relationship based on mutual trust, informed consent, and confidentiality. To simplify the system for both patients and providers, we will reduce mandates and enable insurers and providers of care to increase healthcare options and contain costs.

by Aletha Cress Oglesby, M.D. July 8, 2022August 20, 2022

Dr Aletha

The Republican Party-“Affordable high quality healthcare”

We must recover the traditional patient-physician relationship based on mutual trust, informed consent, and confidentiality.

To simplify the system for both patients and providers, we will reduce mandates and enable insurers and providers of care to increase healthcare options and contain costs.

I’ve started a series of blog posts that review each major party’s platform on healthcare and related issues. I take this information directly from the website of each party’s platform and include the link so you can read the complete document.

We’ve already looked at the parties’ views on gun violence and control. This post will look at health insurance. This is not a commentary or an opinion piece, you can find that elsewhere. This is information for your decision.

Note: the photos are for illustration, are not affiliated with the party platform, and are not intended to influence your opinion.

The Republican Party Platform

This party platform was adopted in 2016, reffirmed in 2020, with plans for a new platform in 2024.

Restoring Patient Control and Preserving Quality in Healthcare

Any honest agenda for improving healthcare must start with repeal of the dishonestly named Affordable Care Act of 2010: Obamacare. It weighs like the dead hand of the past upon American medicine.

It imposed a Euro-style bureaucracy to manage its unworkable, budget-busting, conflicting provisions. It has driven up prices for all consumers. Their insurance premiums have dramatically increased while their deductibles have risen about eight times faster than wages in the last ten years.

It drove up drug prices by levying a $27 billion tax on manufacturers and importers and, through mandated price cuts for drugs under Medicare and Medicaid, forced pharmaceutical companies to raise prices for everyone else.

Its “silver plans,” the most common option on the government insurance exchanges, limit people’s access to their own doctor through narrow networks and restrict drug coverage, forcing many patients to pay for extremely costly medicines for their chronic diseases.

We agree with the four dissenting judges of the Supreme Court:

“In our view, the entire Act before us is invalid in its entirety.”
four Supreme Court justices

It must be removed and replaced with an approach based on genuine competition, patient choice, excellent care, wellness, and timely access to treatment.

an open paper planner lying on a laptop keyboard; the words HEALTH INSURANCE are spelled out with small tiles on the planner — Photo by Olya Kobruseva on Pexels.com

Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act

To that end, a Republican president, on the first day in office, will use legitimate waiver authority under the law to halt its advance and then, with the unanimous support of Congressional Republicans, will sign its repeal.

The Supreme Court upheld Obamacare based on Congress’ power to tax. It is time to repeal Obamacare and give America a much-needed tax cut.

Our goal is to ensure that all Americans have improved access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, including those struggling with mental illness.

In its place we must combine what worked best in the past with changes needed for the future.

We must recover the traditional patient-physician relationship based on mutual trust, informed consent, and confidentiality.

To simplify the system for both patients and providers, we will reduce mandates and enable insurers and providers of care to increase healthcare options and contain costs.

State regulation of insurance markets

We will return to the states their historic role of regulating local insurance markets, limit federal requirements on both private insurance and Medicaid, and call on state officials to reconsider the costly medical mandates, imposed under their own laws, that price millions of low-income families out of the insurance market.

Medicaid block grants

To guarantee first-rate care for the needy, we propose to block grant Medicaid and other payments and to assist all patients, including those with pre-existing conditions, to obtain coverage in a robust consumer market.

Flexible and portable health plans

We believe that individuals with preexisting conditions who maintain continuous coverage should be protected from discrimination.

Today’s highly mobile workforce needs portability of insurance coverage that can go with them from job to job. The need to maintain coverage should not dictate where families have to live and work.

shallow focus of woman and 2 men working in a call center — Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

We propose to end tax discrimination against the individual purchase of insurance and allow consumers to buy insurance across state lines. In light of that, we propose repealing the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act which protects insurance companies from anti-trust litigation.

We look to the growth of Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts that empower patientand advance choice in healthcare.

exploring the HEART of healthcare

I appreciate your interest in the politics of healthcare, an issue that is vital to all of us every day. These proposals will become more focussed and debated as election day approaches; the national election is Tuesday November 8, 2022. Please exercise your right to vote, I intend to.