Now that it appears Kamala Harris will be the Democrat Presidential candidate, a look at her stance on various issues healthcare aka, her health policy, is timely. Important to note at his juncture, however, is that candidate Harris has not taken clear stakes on many current healthcare issues as Vice President, her roles were more international policy focused and technology focused.
The known highlights of Ms. Harris policy positions (likely to continue and possibly expand as her presidential campaign moves forward), are as follows.
Medicare For All
Ms. Harris was among the first notable Democrats to support Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont’s “Medicare-for-all” bill. During her 2019 presidential campaign, she introduced a “Medicare for All” plan of her own. Differing from Mr. Sanders’ approach, her proposal suggested a 10-year transition period and permitted private insurers to offer plans alongside a government-run system.
Senator Harris co-sponsored Senator Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare-for-all’ bill in 2017, becoming one of the first Democrats to support the single-payer legislation, as reported by Politico.
In the 2020 presidential primaries, Senator Harris initially reinforced the idea of phasing out private health insurance, but subsequently retracted her stance.
During a debate in June 2019, when asked if they would eliminate private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan, Senator Harris, alongside Mr. Sanders, indicated agreement. However, she later clarified that she had misunderstood the question, thinking it pertained to her personal insurance.
In July 2019, Ms. Harris introduced her healthcare proposal, which allowed for participation from private insurance companies. According to her plan, individuals would have the option to choose between government-administered insurance plans or those offered by private insurers. Her proposal aimed to transition to a broader Medicare system gradually over a decade. Her plan as released is available here: My Plan For Medicare For All. In America, health care should be a… | by Kamala Harris | Medium
Women’s Health/Abortion
Reproductive health rights are expected to be a central theme of Ms. Harris’ campaign if she is officially nominated at the Democratic National Convention next month. The Republican party has shifted its focus away from this issue, with little mention at their recent convention.
Vice President Harris has been more prominent and assertive in her support for reproductive rights compared to President Biden, as reported by KFF Health News. Harris, Once Biden’s Voice on Abortion, Would Take an Outspoken Approach to Health – KFF Health News. Both have expressed their support for reinstating federal protections under Roe v. Wade. However, Ms. Harris has advocated for even stronger protections than those provided by Roe v. Wade during her 2019 presidential campaign, as noted by Politico. Her proposal would require states to obtain approval from the Justice Department before enacting any abortion restrictions, to confirm their adherence to the Constitution.
Ms. Harris has championed investments to tackle the country’s maternal health crisis and diminish health disparities. In 2022, she revealed the administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis. The White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis: Two Years of Progress | The White House
Minimum Staffing for Nursing Homes
In April, Ms. Harris introduced two definitive rules establishing minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities and in-home services, mandating that a registered nurse be present on-site around the clock. Fact Sheet: Vice President Harris Announces Historic Advancements in Long-Term Care to Support the Care Economy | The White House
Readers/followers of this site know that I have published a number of posts on the Minimum Staffing rules. This is also a policy, with the recent Scotus Chevron ruling, that has a strong likelihood of being substantially changed or perhaps, over-ruled as “enforceable” by the courts.
Two posts from this site, on this topic, are,
- https://rhislop3.com/2024/04/23/cms-final-snf-staffing-rule/
- https://rhislop3.com/2023/08/30/wednesday-feature-cms-snf-staffing-mandate-stalled-the-abt-report-on-feasibility/
Healthcare Consolidation and Antitrust
During her tenure as California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2017, Ms. Harris was an opponent of healthcare consolidation, taking legal action against several industry entities for suspected fraud and antitrust breaches. She was one of the initial state attorneys general to challenge the acquisition of Saltzer Medical Group by St. Luke’s Health System, based in Boise, Idaho, and was a participant in a federal lawsuit to prevent the merger of Anthem and Cigna in 2017. Ms. Harris’ stance is consistent with the Federal Trade Commission’s aggressive antitrust enforcement during the Biden administration.
Drug Prices
Biden and Harris have been in agreement on reducing health care expenses. The Biden-Harris administration has limited the monthly cost of insulin to $35 for numerous Americans and initiated direct negotiations on prices for 10 commonly used medications under Medicare Part D, intending to negotiate more in the future.
In 2019, as a candidate, Harris endorsed a proposal that would empower the Department of Health and Human Services to establish price ceilings for all pharmaceuticals sold in the U.S., referencing the costs in other developed nations for identical drugs.
In her 2019 campaign, the platform advocated for legislation enabling HHS to establish a fair price for prescription drugs, not exceeding 100 percent of the average price in comparable high-income countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Harris proposed this price be reviewed at least annually and adjusted for inflation.
“Pharmaceutical companies’ profits from selling a drug above the fair price in the United States would be taxed at 100 percent. The revenue from this tax would be returned to consumers as rebates,” stated Harris’ platform from 2019.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has recently requested feedback on a draft framework regarding the exercise of march-in rights. This is where the government may grant a patent from publicly funded research to another company, potentially to reduce prices.
“If the measures described are not adequate to reduce the excessive pricing of drugs developed with public funds, Harris intends to utilize the existing powers under the Bayh-Dole Act to ‘march-in’ and assign the patent of a pharmaceutical company to a more affordable competitor,” as stated in her 2019 policy platform. The draft framework as proposed is available here (highlighted): National Institute of Standars on March-in-Rights
Student Loan Forgiveness
While student debt forgiveness is not a dominant health policy issue, Ms. Harris has supported debt forgiveness plans. During her tenure as California’s attorney general and later as vice president, she supported the cause of student loan debt forgiveness, especially for individuals employed in public service roles like education, law enforcement, and healthcare. In 2022, she spearheaded the Biden administration’s move to forgive all outstanding loan debt for former students at Corinthian Colleges, a for-profit institution she had taken legal action against while attorney general.
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