It’s been nearly four years since President Donald Trump took office, and exactly four years since the COVID-19 pandemic began disrupting space and time, meaning that memories of that time may be a bit hazy at this point. But with President Trump seeking reelection with Vice President Kamala Harris and a debate scheduled for tonight, September 10th, it’s worth getting a refresher on his views, especially on important issues that may affect our health.
You may recall that Trump’s health policy record has been patchy, sometimes toeing the Republican line in his efforts to cut government spending, sometimes swaying in a seemingly populist direction, and sometimes taking an entirely dogmatic path that is completely unsupported by science or substance. His campaign speeches and social media rhetoric have been similarly unpredictable, as have his concerns about access to health care (which he has also been known to do). Really He debates whether he wants to repeal Obamacare or slightly amend it, and abortion (specifically, how opposed he is).
There are far fewer gray areas in other parts of Trump’s party. Project 2025, a strategic plan for the next Republican administration led by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, is packed with harmful health care policy ideas. CNN Review At least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration were found to have been involved in its creation, but Trump claims he knew “nothing about it.” CBS News Review They found that more than a third of the policies included in Project 2025 mirror policies that President Trump has enacted or promised to implement, from gutting public education to eliminating protections for transgender people.
But to bring you the proposals President Trump currently supports, we’ve gone straight to the sources and scoured his political record and recent statements to bring you the gist of where he stands on six key areas of health policy.
Read here to find out where Kamala Harris stands on these health issues.
Medical expenses
When it comes to how to pay for health care, Trump has been ambivalent. As president, he tried and failed to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA, aka Obamacare), arguing that it was too expensive and siphoned off too much taxpayer money and federal funding. But his administration has significantly undermined the program by taking steps to weaken it, ostensibly to save people money. Decreased Access to quality, low-cost health care.
First, in 2017, President Trump passed a tax bill that eliminated ACA penalties for not having health insurance. This may have saved people money in the short term (by allowing them to opt out without a fee), but predictably led to an increase in the number of uninsured people (who spend a larger portion of their income on health care and face greater financial risk). the study With fewer people enrolled in the marketplace, insurers had no choice but to raise premiums, resulting in higher upfront costs for the insured. A similar, reverse result occurred when the Trump administration expanded access to more affordable short-term health insurance. While that sounds like a good thing, in reality these plans don’t have to follow ACA rules, exclude people with pre-existing conditions, and don’t offer coverage for things like maternity care and substance use treatment. Meanwhile, funding for ACA advertising and “navigator” programs that help people through the enrollment process was severely cut, further reducing the number of people enrolling in insurance.