Trump's longstanding war against affordable health care coverage took the stage again during Thursday night's debate.
During Thursday night's second and final presidential debate, Donald Trump once again managed to dodge pressing questions on whether he had any health care plan to offer Americans.
In June, the Trump administration joined Republican officials in 18 states to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act, a suit that "if successful, would bring a permanent end to the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans," according to the New York Times.
When asked by moderator Kristen Welker about his place to replace the ACA, Trump never fully confronted the question. Instead, he offered the empty suggestion that he would like to "come up with a brand new, beautiful health care", while bizarrely stating, "The Democrats will do it because there will tremendous pressure on them, and we might even have the House by then." Election analysts say Democrats have an 80% chance of maintaining control of the House.
In response to Trump's promise of a radical health care package, Biden said, "He's never come up with a plan. I guess we're going to get the preexisting conditions plan at the same time we'll get the infrastructure plan."
"The fact is that he's already cost the American people because of his terrible handling of the COVID virus and economic spillover," Biden added. "Ten million people have lost their private insurance, and he wants to take away 22 million more people who have been under Obamacare, and over 110 million people with preexisting conditions."
When questioned by Welker, Biden said he would expand the Affordable Care Act, which he helped pass during the Obama administration, by passing "Obamacare with a public option," and allowing people under 65 to access to Medicare. He also promised that, through the policies he hopes to pass, Medicare will cut premiums and gain the power to negotiate down drug prices.
The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments for why the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, and the legislation to be struck down in its entirety, on Nov. 10.
According to Protect Our Care, repealing Obamacare could cut off 135 million Americans with preexisting conditions from health care, increase prescription drug prices for older Americans, and cut off financial assistance to 9 million people who purchase their health care through the federal marketplace.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
