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At Trump’s GOP Convention, There’s Little To Be Heard on Health Care

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Phil Galewitz, KFF News
Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:12:10 +0000

No talk of Obamacare. Or .

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this , where delegates officially nominated Donald Trump as the party’s 2024 presidential candidate, health care issues received little attention from prime-time speakers.

The silence is surprising, given health care makes up the largest chunk of the federal budget, nearly $2 trillion, as well as 17% of U.S. economic output.

It also stands in stark contrast to the GOP’s priorities when it first nominated Trump.

In 2016, the last time Republicans gathered en masse for a presidential convention, repealing the Affordable Care Act was a favorite topic. So was overturning Roe v. Wade and its constitutional protections for abortion.

The change in tone reflects Trump’s political sensitivities. The failed attempt under the former president to repeal Obamacare in 2017 contributed to a crushing GOP defeat in the 2018 congressional elections, and the law now enjoys broad support. Abortion, too, has become a treacherous topic for Republicans since Roe was overturned in 2022, with most Americans opposed to a national ban.

In one of the only pieces of health policy in the GOP’s 2024 platform, the former president vows not to cut Social Security or Medicare, the health program for older and disabled Americans, or change the federal retirement age.

In his speech accepting the nomination Thursday night, Trump promised to protect Medicare and find cures for Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. But he did not outline any health care proposals for a second term. “Democrats are going to destroy Social Security and Medicare,” he said.

Health care isn’t a winning subject for Republicans, said Charles Coughlin, CEO of a Phoenix public affairs firm who was a longtime GOP political operative before he became an independent in 2017.

Speakers at the convention have instead focused on , crime, and immigration. “They have the tried-and-true polling data to show those are winning issues for them, and that’s where they want to keep the narrative focused,” he said.

Immigration has bled into a few health issues, including the U.S. opioid crisis and public insurance coverage. Some Republicans — including Georgia U.S. House Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who addressed the convention on July 15 — have claimed an increase in people crossing the southern border has caused a surge of drug overdoses and deaths.

However, most fentanyl seized at the border with Mexico enters through legal ports of entry, according to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, and most people sentenced in the U.S. for fentanyl trafficking are American citizens, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Speaking on July 17, U.S. House Rep. Monica De La Cruz of Texas claimed Democratic policies allow people who come into the country without authorization to receive , even though they are largely not eligible for federal health programs.

De La Cruz also said the Biden administration had cut Medicare Advantage for seniors. While the Biden administration this year modestly cut spending on the private plans, the federal government still spends more money per beneficiary on Medicare Advantage than for those in the traditional Medicare program.

The paucity of convention speakers focused on health care reflects the new GOP platform, a document hewing closely to both the substance and tone of Trump’s views. Along with its promise to protect Medicare, the 28-page document vows that Republicans will expand veterans’ health care choices, as well as access to “new Affordable Healthcare and prescription drug options” more broadly, without elaboration.

On abortion, the party stripped from the platform its decades-old call for federal limits, including instead language suggesting the 14th Amendment prohibits abortion. The platform also says the party supports state-level elections on abortion policy and opposes “Late Term Abortion.” Only about 1% of abortions in the U.S. occur after 21 weeks of pregnancy, according to KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.

In contrast, the 2016 platform — a 66-page document — also called for shifting open-ended federal into block and introducing a Medicare “premium-support model” to cap spending. It also called for limiting payouts from medical malpractice lawsuits and combating drug abuse.

The word “abortion” appears 32 times in the 2016 platform, compared with once in the 2024 document.

“The GOP is in a headlong sprint away from that issue,” Coughlin said.

During the week of the convention, video of a call between independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump appeared online. In the video, Trump is heard sharing disproven claims about childhood vaccines, saying falsely that the shots can cause a baby to “change radically” and dismissing their health benefits.

As a candidate, Kennedy has repeatedly made false claims about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Trump has long entertained vaccine skeptics. (Before Trump took the oath of office in 2017, Kennedy told reporters Trump had invited him to chair a presidential commission on vaccines, though the commission never materialized.) But as president, Trump ordered the creation of the “Operation Warp Speed” program in 2020 that helped drive of covid-19 vaccines.

Since the start of the pandemic, however, vaccine skepticism has blossomed in the Republican Party. Just 36% of Republicans say they’re confident covid vaccines are safe, and 44% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say parents should be able to decide not to vaccinate their children against measles, mumps, and rubella “even if that may create health risks for other children and adults,” according to KFF polling.

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By: Phil Galewitz, KFF Health News
Title: At Trump’s GOP Convention, There’s Little To Be Heard on Health Care
Sourced From: kffhealthnews.org/news/article/donald-trump-gop-convention-platform-health-care-abortion/
Published Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:12:10 +0000

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Kaiser Health News

For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises the Stakes

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kffhealthnews.org – Kim Krisberg, Public Watch and Stephanie Colombini, WUSF – 2024-10-30 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Stephanie, a Florida recovering from opioid addiction, a crisis when she lost her coverage during the ‘s eligibility reevaluation after protections ended. Her treatment with methadone, crucial for managing cravings, became financially burdensome. Reports indicate over 1.9 million Floridians lost Medicaid, jeopardizing addiction treatment access. Experts stress that interruptions in care increase overdose risks. Nonprofits like Operation PAR are struggling to assist uninsured amid rising demand. While some individuals regained coverage, many face ongoing challenges, emphasizing the need for stable sources to ensure continued access to lifesaving medications for those in recovery.

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The post For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises the Stakes appeared first on kffhealthnews.org

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Kaiser Health News

Toddler’s Backyard Snakebite Bills Totaled More Than a Quarter Million Dollars

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kffhealthnews.org – Jackie Fortiér – 2024-10-30 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Two-year-old Brigland Pfeffer was bitten by a rattlesnake in his backyard in San Diego shortly after his birthday. His mother him to the hospital, where medical staff challenges administering antivenom due to difficulties finding a vein. Eventually, an alternative method delivered the antivenom, stabilizing Brigland. His treatment cost $297,461, primarily for 30 vials of antivenom. Despite insurance negotiation, the faced significant out-of-pocket costs. Brigland’s injuries included nerve , but he has since healed. the incident, the family installed snake fencing to enhance safety in their yard.

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The post Toddler’s Backyard Snakebite Bills Totaled More Than a Quarter Million Dollars appeared first on kffhealthnews.org

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Kaiser Health News

JD Vance Fact Check: Illegal Immigration Isn’t Causing Rural Hospital Closures

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www.youtube.com – KFF – 2024-10-29 14:08:22

SUMMARY: VP nominee JD Vance claimed that providing care for undocumented immigrants is bankrupting hospitals and causing closures. However, fact-checking reveals that while undocumented populations may be more likely to be uninsured, their presence does not directly result in hospitals failing financially. Many states offer coverage for these individuals, and factors like low Medicare and reimbursement rates, decreased patient volumes, and prolonged financial decline significantly contribute to rural hospital closures. Therefore, Vance’s assertion that care for unauthorized immigrants is the primary reason for hospital bankruptcies is misleading. The claim has been rated false.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) said providing care for immigrants without legal status was “bankrupting” rural hospitals and forcing them to close.

Although that population is more likely to be uninsured, living in the country illegally does not mean people lack the ability to pay for — especially if they in states that offer them insurance coverage.

Research shows many factors contribute to rural hospital closures — not solely financial losses from providing care for those without insurance, whether those people are migrants in the country illegally or U.S. citizens.

KFF Health News and @politifact rate Vance’s statement False.

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