Ignore at your own peril
However the parties approach the coming months, health care is on the minds of many Americans, drawn into sharper focus by the ongoing pandemic.
As the cost, quality and regulation of health care become more firmly lodged in the national spotlight, politics plays an increasingly important role in our industry.
In this year’s divisive presidential election, the future of health care will again play a key role in voter’s decisions. In a recent survey of registered voters by the Pew Research Center, nearly 7 in 10 respondents said health care would be “very important” to their vote, trailing only the economy as the most-cited factor.
Many believe health care could be a vulnerable area for Republicans in races across the country. A Fox News poll found that 53% of voters disapproved of the way President Trump was handling health care, while Biden led by a 15-point margin when voters were asked who they trusted to do a better job with health care.
Related: U.S. health care system on life support, say test results from new study
In The New York Times, Thomas Kaplan writes “Democrats are once again trying to capitalize on an issue that was key to their success in the 2018 midterm elections. And Republicans are once again vulnerable: Three years after failing to repeal and replace the ACA, the party still has not coalesced around a plan for the future of America’s health care system.”
In the same piece, Adam Brandon, president of conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks, says Republicans “still haven’t recovered” from their struggles to repeal the ACA. “If I’m the Democrats, I just keep handing the ball off on pre-existing conditions until Republicans prove they can stop that.”
However the parties approach the coming months, health care is on the minds of many Americans, drawn into sharper focus by the ongoing pandemic.
A Commonwealth Fund poll provides further evidence of the devastating impact health care is having on American lives, with nearly 25% of likely voters saying they are worried about their ability to afford health care in the next 12 months and 30% noting they are worried about the cost of premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs.
Meanwhile, 1 in 5 said they struggled or were unable to pay medical bills in the past two years, with many forced to dip into retirement funds or sell personal items. Perhaps more concerning, over 20% said a health problem had gotten worse in the past 12 months after they delayed getting care or medications because of the cost.
Regardless of who is elected in November, the message is clear: Americans are vulnerable, increasingly unhappy and disillusioned with our country’s health care. Will the issue remain a political can to kick down the road or will someone do something to help them?
Read more: