Tag: health insurance

Whose healthcare plan will you choose in 2020?

At least in the memory of anyone alive today, we have never seen a presidential campaign quite like this one, maybe never in United States’ history.

In less than 100 days registered voters in the United States will elect their next President, possibly sooner if you plan to vote absentee or by mail.

Votes will choose from among several candidates-

  • Incumbent president, Donald J. Trump- Republican
  • Former Vice President, Joe Biden-Democrat

And a long list of third party and independent candidates, who may or may not be on the ballot in your state-

  • Jo Jorgenson-Liberarian
  • Howie Hawkins-Green Party
  • Don Blankenship-Constitution Party
  • Kanye West-Birthday Party

Campaign 2020

American presidential campaigns are always contentious, involving often widely different views on

  • the economy
  • taxes/Social Security
  • national security/defense
  • immigration
  • foreign policy
  • jobs/employment
  • education
  • crime/violence/guns
  • healthcare

And this year new issues make this campaign even more raucous than usual with debate on

  • widespread protests
  • rioting/looting
  • misuse of force by police
  • racism/reparations/justice
  • recession/jobs loss
  • evictions/food insecurity
  • business shutdowns
  • school closures
  • public health restrictions
  • overwhelmed hospitals
  • disease and deaths due to COVID-19

At least in the memory of anyone alive today, we have never seen a presidential campaign quite like this one, maybe never in United States’ history.

The candidates speak-

Earlier this year I reviewed the official websites of the Republican and the Democratic political parties and wrote posts summarizing their proposals for healthcare.

Then I visited the campaign websites of the two major party candidates for President of the United States, first reviewing their healthcare stances in general and then their views on the COVID-19 pandemic specifically.

This post contains links to all of those posts so you can easily review them as you carefully consider how you will vote this year. As I said before, I encourage you to read the entire original documents yourself, especially as there may be updates.

Through this blog I do not endorse any particular candidate; if it seems otherwise, that is unintentional and accidental.

Here is a reminder of the structure of the United States Federal government as created by the Constitution
3 BRANCHES OF U.S. GOVERNMENT
3 BRANCHES OF U.S. GOVERNMENT, FROM usa.gov, public domain

The Parties’ Platforms on Healthcare

Healthcare in the 2024 Democratic Platform: Key Points Revealed

The Democratic National Convention concluded with Vice President Kamala Harris nominated for President and Governor Tim Walz for Vice President. The new Party Platform focuses on healthcare, urging protection and expansion of affordable care and Medicaid, as well as tackling issues like gun violence and improving mental health care. Numerous policies and initiatives are detailed,…

Healthcare in the 2024 GOP Platform: Key Points Revealed

The Republican National Convention concluded by nominating Donald Trump as their candidate for the 2024 presidential election, along with a shorter party platform. The platform, “Make America Great Again,” includes 20 promises, with only two related to healthcare. Health topics are dispersed throughout the document. This post offers a brief review.

The President Candidates’ Healthcare Positions and Policies

Donald Trump’s Healthcare Achievements 2016-2020

This post reviews healthcare during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, detailing his achievements from 2016 to 2020 and the political climate surrounding healthcare policies. It discusses the impact of the ACA, Trump’s various healthcare initiatives, and his reelection in 2024 against Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out.

President Joe Biden’s Plan for Healthcare-a review

In 2021, Joseph Biden became the 46th US President, succeeding Donald Trump. In his 2023 State of the Union Address, he addressed healthcare, proposing reforms like Medicare expansion and lower drug costs. His campaign focuses on affordable, quality healthcare, pharmaceutical regulation, reproductive rights, mental health support, and personalized community health plans, with future plans for…

The President Candidates’ COVID-19 pandemic response

Donald Trump’s Actions to Combat the Coronavirus

In 2024, Donald Trump won reelection against Kamala Harris after Joe Biden withdrew. The post recounts Trump’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting his administration’s emergency declarations, funding requests, and measures to combat the virus. It emphasizes Trump’s leadership in healthcare response and economic relief for Americans affected by the pandemic.

Joe Biden’s Plan to Combat Coronavirus (COVID-19)

President Joe Biden announced the impending end of the public health emergency due to the significant drop in COVID-19 deaths. The response to the pandemic involved various federal agencies led by the Department of Health and Human Services, as outlined in Biden’s 7-point plan. The plan addressed testing, healthcare, economic support, global response, and climate…

Exploring the HEART of campaign 2020

On Facebook, I share healthcare related posts from Mr. Trump’s and Mr. Biden’s pages, with updates daily.

Celebrate WOMAN SUFFRAGE: 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, August 18

If there are other presidential candidates on the ballot in your state, review their websites or social media pages. Voting and running for public office are valuable rights; participating in the process is a privilege and responsibility.

a group of lapel buttons, red, white and blue, saying VOTE

This photo and the cover photo of the White House are from the media site Lightstock.com, an affiliate which pays this blog a commission for purchases made from this link

Dr. Aletha

Donald Trump’s Healthcare Achievements 2016-2020

This post reviews healthcare during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, detailing his achievements from 2016 to 2020 and the political climate surrounding healthcare policies. It discusses the impact of the ACA, Trump’s various healthcare initiatives, and his reelection in 2024 against Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out.

updated November 26, 2024

This post looks back at healthcare under the first Trump administration from 2016 to 2020.

I originally wrote this post in 2020 during the Presidential campaign between incumbent Donald Trump, Republican, and Joe Biden, Democrat. Trump was not reelected.

In 2024 Trump again ran for President against the incumbent Biden, who unexpectedly dropped out of the race in the summer. His Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate.

Donald Trump won reelection with 50% of the popular votes to 48.4% for Kamala Harris. The electoral count was 312 to 226. (per the Associated Press).

(The last President to serve two non-consecutive terms was Grover Cleveland in 1893. )

Healthcare 2008-2016

Due to the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus, health has been a major topic in both world and national news this year and will continue to be so for months if not years. And health is a major issue in this year’s United States presidential election in November 2020.

Health care was a major issue in the 2008 election and proved to be momentous. In his campaign, the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, promised health care reform and as President he delivered with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, (ACA) the first time Americans have had universal health care.

The ACA sparked heated debate in the 2016 election with the Democratic candidate pledging to build upon it and Republican candidate vowing to dismantle it . This year the debate continues.

Healthcare and the Presidential Campaign 2020

In this and another post, I review and list what I think are some of the most important points in the health care philosophy of each major party candidate, according to information on their official websites.

I am not endorsing either of the candidates, their party ,or their healthcare plans. My intent is to present a non-partisan look at what they have done and propose. If it sounds otherwise, that is unintentional.

You should also review a post about the Republican Party healthcare platform.

How to become President inforgraphic
The Presidential pathway from USA.gov

The incumbent candidate-Republican- Donald J. Trump

Donald J. Trump, owner and former president of The Trump Organization, was elected the 45th U.S. president in 2016. He was born June 14, 1946. Mr. Trump is married to Melania Trump and has 5 children.

Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)

President Donald J. Trump Achievements

This information was adapted from a Trump-affiliated site that is no longer active.

The Trump Administration

  • expanded access to Association Health Plans (AHPs) allowing small business to pool risk across states.
  • launched a program to provide the HIV prevention drug PrEP to uninsured patients for free.
  • issued guidance expanding options for individuals with chronic conditions. High deductible plans can now cover products such as insulin, inhalers and statins pre-deductible.
  • issued a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide services like abortion, sterilization or assisted suicide, if they cite a religious or conscientious objection.
  • announced the launch of a new COVID-19 Uninsured Program Portal in an effort to cover testing and treatment for uninsured individuals.

As part of the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act President Trump repealed the individual mandate, which forced people to buy expensive insurance and taxed those who couldn’t afford it.

The mandate disproportionately hurt the poor: 80% of those affected made less than $50,000.

As President, Mr. Trump
  • took executive action to strengthen Medicare and reform the Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging seniors on their drugs.
  • pressured China to close dangerous loopholes that allowed Chinese fentanyl manufacturers to legally ship the compound worldwide, much of which ended up in the U.S.
  • created a bipartisan opioid commission that issued 56 recommendations to help defeat the opioid crisis.
  • invoked the Defense Production Act, giving power to allocate health care supplies and increase production of necessary products to counter COVID-19. 
  • worked with Congress to stop surprise medical billing.
As President, Mr. Trump signed
  • the bipartisan Tobacco-Free Youth Act to raise the nationwide age for purchasing tobacco and vaping products to 21 years old.
  • the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, expanding the SNAP and WIC programs by adding $500 million, helping pregnant women and those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
  • an executive order to modernize flu vaccines and help protect more Americans by promoting new technologies to improve vaccine manufacturing and effectiveness.
  • a bill to extend Veterans Choice Health Care Law.
  • an executive order that increased price and quality transparency in American health care.
Oval Office replica
replica of the Oval Office at the Reagan Presidential Library, photo by Dr. Aletha

Exploring the HEART of healthcare election politics

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a group of lapel buttons, red, white and blue, saying VOTE

This photo and the cover photo of the White House are from the media site Lightstock.com, an affiliate which pays this blog a commission for purchases made from this link

Dr. Aletha