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The 2024 election campaign – especially the presidential campaign – is very unclear in terms of policy. However, health issues, especially around abortion and other reproductive health services, continue to play an important role. Although the Affordable Care Act has not been the focus of debate as it has been in 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, were KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner, NPR’s Tamara Keith, Politico’s Alice Miranda Ollstein, and KFF’s Cynthia Cox and Ashley Kirzinger.
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- As Election Day approaches, it is anyone’s guess who will win the presidential election. Enthusiasm among Democratic Party women has grown as Vice President Kamala Harris has been named to the top job, and more say they are likely to vote. But in general, polls suggest a very thin margin-of-error.
- Several states put abortion measures on the ballot. Abortion rights advocates have sought to portray the issue as non-partisan, and acknowledge that recent steps have been successful, thanks in part to Republican support. For some voters, rejecting government control over women’s health is a conservative value. Many are willing to split their vote, supporting abortion rights measures as well as candidates who oppose abortion rights.
- Although debate over policy has been greatly reduced since the current presidential election, the future of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act depends on the outcome. Republicans want to weaken the federal funding behind Medicaid expansion, and former President Donald Trump has a record of opposing the ACA. Potentially a hurdle are federal subsidies set to expire next year that have changed the ACA by increasing enrollment and lowering premium costs.
- And as misinformation and disinformation proliferate, one area of concern is the “vulnerable middle”: people who are unsure who or what to believe and are therefore particularly vulnerable to misleading or outright false information. Could a second Trump administration inject misinformation into federal policy? The push to soften or even eliminate vaccination mandates in schools shows the public health consequences of spreading falsehoods.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
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