Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will face off within the first vice presidential debate on Tuesday.
Well being care has featured prominently within the marketing campaign to this point, and the talk might be a key alternative for either side to press the opposite on their plans – and to assault the data of the candidates on the high of the opposing tickets.
Vance has thrust ObamaCare again into the nationwide dialog along with his rationalization of former President Trump’s “concepts of a plan” for medical insurance reform, whereas Walz has continued to make reproductive freedom a central piece of his stump speech.
Listed here are a few of the principal points we’re expecting:
ObamaCare
One of many points getting probably the most consideration forward of debate is one which Republicans have largely sought to keep away from lately.
Subsidies that assist about 20 million individuals afford insurance coverage are set to run out subsequent 12 months, and whether or not they get renewed will rely upon the result in November. The subsidies have been first enforce throughout the top of the coronavirus pandemic as a part of the financial restoration legislation, and later prolonged within the Inflation Discount Act.
Hundreds of thousands of enrollees have come to depend on the improved subsidies, and so they’ve helped enhance medical insurance enrollment to file ranges. Congressional Democrats launched laws in each chambers final week to make the subsidies everlasting, one thing the Harris marketing campaign additionally helps.
However Republicans are balking on the $335 billion price ticket and argue too many excessive earners are getting taxpayer-subsidized insurance coverage. They’re digging in for a struggle, and in the event that they win management of the Senate the chances of passing a everlasting extension are extraordinarily low.
However whereas subsidies haven’t damaged via, the well being legislation’s protections for pre-existing circumstances appear extra more likely to be debated on Tuesday. Vance has floated the thought of going again to the pre-ACA days of “high-risk pools,” the place sick individuals have been separated into completely different, costlier insurance coverage protection.
It’s a place that was a trademark of GOP proposals to interchange ObamaCare throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, and whereas the thought sounds wonky, it’s a struggle Democrats need to have. Walz will doubtless attempt to hammer Vance on the topic.
Reproductive rights
Walz’s private connection to reproductive points and Vance’s stumbling rhetoric in relation to childlessness will doubtless made theseissues a repeated level of competition throughout the debate.
The Walz household has been open about their struggles with infertility because the IVF debacle in Alabama earlier this 12 months. Regardless of marketing campaign supplies and prior remarks that implied the couple had used IVF to have kids, Gwen Walz clarified in August that they’d opted for a much less intensive process.
Their candor, and Walz being the primary governor to codify abortion entry after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, has stoked enthusiasm amongst reproductive rights activist teams, whereas GOP opponents made a couple of pointed jabs accusing the Walzes of mendacity for the sake of political capital.
Vance’s language concerning individuals with out kids, girls specifically, has stirred up criticisms of the vice-presidential nominee being prejudiced or insensitive to this demographic.
Quite a few resurfaced clips of Vance in interviews have proven the Ohio senator criticizing individuals with out kids as being much less invested in the way forward for the nation and contributing to the inhabitants being “less mentally stable.”
In terms of abortion, Vance has shifted his stance to reflect Trump’s by calling for the problem to be left as much as states. In prior remarks, nonetheless, Vance has supported the thought of a nationwide ban whereas additionally expressing a politically pragmatic strategy.
Talking on state abortion bans, Vance has stated “affordable exceptions” are obligatory because of “political reality,” although he’s waffled on whether or not he helps exceptions for rape and incest.
Medical debt
Walz says his stance on medical debt is knowledgeable by the way it has affected his household. The Minnesota governor has spoken about how his father’s dying left his mom mired in medical debt.
As governor, Walz championed a legislation that bans medical debt from being reported to credit score bureaus, ends the automated switch of medical debt to a affected person’s partner and prevents suppliers from withholding care because of excellent debt.
Vice President Harris and Walz have made medical debt a key a part of their marketing campaign. Harris has stated her administration will work with states to erase medical debt for thousands and thousands of Individuals, however particulars on how that might be completed are skinny.
The Trump-Vance marketing campaign hasn’t talked about medical debt in any respect.
Medical debt aid is a well-liked coverage that’s simple for the general public to grasp. A June AP/NORC ballot confirmed half of all Individuals stated it was extraordinarily or crucial for the U.S. authorities to supply debt aid for individuals who have but to repay medical therapies.
Well being care prices
Well being prices routinely high polls as one of many points individuals care most about.
Based on Pew Analysis, 65 p.c of all voters say well being care is “very important” to their vote within the 2024 presidential election, second to the financial system at 81 p.c of voters.
Each Harris and Trump speak about excessive drug costs, which Walz and Vance will doubtless attempt to spotlight. Each candidates largely agree the federal government ought to rein in drug firms, however Harris as Biden’s vice chairman has extra of a profitable file to level to than Trump’s.
Harris and Walz are campaigning on increasing efforts the Biden administration has already undertaken and touting its successes, reminiscent of capping the price of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 and saving cash from the brand new Medicare negotiated drug costs.
Trump has falsely stated Harris and Biden are taking credit score for his work on insulin pricing, and that he was chargeable for the $35 cap. Vance has amplified that declare, and he might attempt to do it once more on Tuesday.
As governor Walz has a file implementing drug worth transparency insurance policies. He additionally helped launch a prescription drug affordability board in Minnesota that may set limits on what insurers pay.
However Walz might additionally face assaults about his and Harris’s previous assist for a public possibility well being plan and Medicare for All, which conservatives argue would increase insurance coverage prices and scale back Individuals’ entry to care.
