There’s so much at stake on this presidential election, and ladies’s well being coverage shall be impacted by our new commander in chief and their administration, irrespective of who wins. So, because the 2024 presidential election quick approaches, be sure to know the place Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on essential points associated to ladies’s well being and healthcare.
You are able to do a deep dive on every candidate’s stances on their web sites (do your analysis at
KamalaHarris.com and DonaldJTrump.com) however right here’s a fast snapshot of a number of the key points affecting the well being of ladies and folks assigned feminine at delivery.
Well being Insurance coverage
Reasonably priced Care Act (ACA)
Trump
Donald Trump desires to interchange the ACA with “significantly better healthcare.” Through the debate, he talked about that he has a “idea of a plan” for healthcare reform however has not issued specifics.
Trump campaigned in 2016 on repealing and changing the ACA. Although that effort failed, his administration made different adjustments, together with zeroing out the penalty for not having insurance coverage, ending sure subsidies, and decreasing funding for outreach and enrollment assist.
Medicaid
Medicare
Harris
Harris has mentioned she’s going to shield Medicare by taxing millionaires and billionaires and shutting tax loopholes.
As vice chairman, Harris solid the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Discount Act, which contained provisions to decrease Medicare prescription costs.
The Harris-Biden administration expanded protection for psychological well being providers and prolonged protection for telehealth by December 2024.
Trump
Trump has mentioned he’ll make no cuts to Medicare and won’t change the retirement age, though no particular insurance policies have been shared.
As president, Trump enacted tax reductions that sped up the depletion of the Medicare Half A Belief Fund and repealed a federal board that was supposed to sluggish Medicare spending. He elevated Medicare premiums for higher-income beneficiaries. He additionally relaxed Medicare telehealth guidelines to make distant care extra accessible through the Covid pandemic.
Youngster Tax Credit and Childcare
Harris
Harris helps a $6,000 tax credit score for fogeys of newborns and enhanced little one tax credit ($3,600 for youngsters below 6 and $3,000 for older kids).
Harris helps creating federal paid household and medical depart (the present Household and Medical Go away Act ensures unpaid depart) and enhanced funding for childcare suppliers. She proposes a cap on childcare prices to not more than 7% of a household’s earnings.
Trump
Trump has not issued particular coverage proposals, however at a New York Financial Membership occasion, Trump acknowledged that his proposals to extend tariffs on overseas imports would cut back the prices of childcare. He additionally mentioned of childcare, “It’s important to have it.” Trump’s operating mate, JD Vance, has mentioned he helps a $5,000 little one tax credit score. A extra modest proposal didn’t go within the Senate as a result of Republican opposition.
LGBTQ Well being
Harris
Harris has made a marketing campaign dedication to go the Equality Act, which protects LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination.
The Biden-Harris administration reinstated Part 1557 of the ACA, which gives the broadest protections up to now for healthcare primarily based on gender id and sexual orientation, for transgender individuals, and for gender-affirming care.
Trump
Trump has pledged to ban gender-affirming take care of younger individuals and block the usage of federal funds for gender-affirming care.
Trump has additionally pledged to “Hold males out of ladies’s sports activities” as a part of the 2024 Republican pledge to “finish left-wing gender madness.”
As president, Trump created the Division of Conscience and Spiritual Freedom at HHS and issued closing conscience regulation expanded non secular protections, which created alternatives for LGBTQ-based discrimination in sure circumstances.
Prescription Drug Costs
Harris
Harris helps increasing the variety of medication that the federal government can negotiate and increasing the $35 insulin cap for Medicare recipients to all People.
Harris solid the tie-breaking vote to go the Inflation Discount Act (IRA), which requires the federal government to barter drug costs on sure medication, caps out-of-pocket drug prices and limits insulin prices to $35 monthly for Medicare enrollees.
Trump
The Trump administration created a voluntary mannequin for Medicare prescription plans to restrict insulin prices to $35 monthly and allowed states to import medicines from Canada; nonetheless that was later rescinded. Trump initially supported making a “Most Favored Nation” standing for Medicare to restrict authorities spending on sure medication however has since backed away from that place.
Reproductive Well being
Abortion entry
Trump
Trump has taken credit score for the Supreme Court docket’s resolution to overturn Roe v. Wade, which eliminated the constitutional proper to abortion. He favors letting states resolve their very own abortion legal guidelines, and he personally helps exceptions to abortion bans in instances of rape, incest, and threats to the mom’s life.
Though Trump has held a wide range of positions on abortion rights over time. Just lately, he mentioned that legal guidelines banning abortion after six weeks go too far, however later acknowledged that he plans to vote for such a measure in Florida, his house state. Trump beforehand wouldn’t decide to vetoing a federal abortion ban if Congress passes one, however extra lately posted on social media that he would veto such a ban.
Treatment abortion
Harris
Harris helps the FDA resolution to enhance entry to medicine abortion capsules by permitting them to be mailed.
The Biden-Harris administration opposes the interpretation and enforcement of the Comstock Act to forestall sending abortion medicine by the mail.
Trump
Trump has advised he would block availability of medicine abortion capsules at occasions and advised that he wouldn’t block them at different occasions. Help for leaving abortion coverage to the states permits states to dam entry to all abortion, together with medicine abortion capsules.
Trump has not publicly spoken on his place on the Comstock Act, however many Republican leaders, together with his operating mate JD Vance, have referred to as for the enforcement of the Comstock Act to ban the mailing of medicine abortion capsules.
Entry to contraception
Harris
Harris helps the proposed Proper to Contraception Act, which protects the precise to contraceptives.
The Biden-Harris administration is combating a federal lawsuit that challenges ACA necessities to cowl preventive providers (together with contraceptives). The administration has issued government orders in assist of contraception.
Trump
Earlier within the 2024 marketing campaign, Trump mentioned he was open to restrictions on contraceptives however later promised by no means to ban contraception.
Trump administration insurance policies paved the way in which for employers with non secular objections to exclude contraception from worker well being plans. Most Republican members of Congress, together with Vance, opposed the Proper to Contraception Act.
Fertility therapy/in vitro fertilization (IVF)
Harris
Harris helps assured rights to IVF and helps the ACA, which incorporates entry to protection earlier than, throughout and after childbirth. She advocated towards a ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court docket that embryos are kids, and due to this fact can’t be destroyed.
She took a stand towards Republicans blocking a invoice that will have protected IVF.
Trump
Trump helps entry to IVF and mentioned he would require insurance coverage firms to cowl the prices however didn’t element how he would implement such a requirement.
The Republican platform opposes analysis utilizing embryonic stem cells (which may be derived from the IVF course of).
Maternal well being/maternity care
Paid household and medical depart
Harris
Previously, Harris supported 12 weeks of paid depart for many staff, together with new dad and mom, caregivers and victims of intimate accomplice violence. Throughout her presidential run, she has expressed assist for paid household and medical depart however has not shared particulars.