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The 2024 campaign, particularly that for the presidency, has been notably vague on policy. However, health issues, especially those related to abortion and other reproductive health services, have played a key role. And while the Affordable Care Act has not been the center of debate as it was during the previous three presidential campaigns, who becomes the next president will have a major impact on the fate of the 2010 health law.
Panelists for this week’s election preview special, recorded before a live audience at KFF’s Washington offices, are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Tamara Keith of NPR, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Cynthia Cox and Ashley Kirzinger by KFF.
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- As Election Day approaches, no one knows who will emerge victorious in the presidential race. Enthusiasm among Democratic women has increased with the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket, and more say they are likely to turn out to vote. But, generally speaking, the polls reveal a race with a margin of error, too close to call.
- Several states have abortion measures on the ballot. Abortion rights advocates strive to frame the issue as nonpartisan, acknowledging that recent measures passed thanks in part to Republican support. For some voters, resisting government control of women’s health is a conservative value. Many are willing to split their votes, supporting both an abortion rights measure and also candidates who oppose abortion rights.
- While there has been a notable absence of political debate in this presidential election, the future of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act depends on its outcome. Republicans want to undermine federal funding behind Medicaid expansion, and former President Donald Trump has a history of opposing the ACA. Potentially at risk are federal subsidies set to expire next year that have transformed the ACA by increasing enrollment and lowering premium costs.
- And as misinformation and disinformation proliferate, one area of concern is the “malleable middle”: people who are unsure who or what to trust and are therefore especially susceptible to receiving misleading or outright information. false. Could a second Trump administration incorporate disinformation into federal policy? The pressure to soften or even eliminate school vaccination mandates shows the public health consequences of the rise in falsehood.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
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