It just doesn’t add up
At Tuesday evening’s vice presidential debate, CBS News moderator Norah O’Donnell brought up the pathetic comment Donald Trump made about his “concepts of a plan” for healthcare at the presidential debate last month. Tim Walz wasted no time slamming Trump for that nonsense, saying, “It cracked me up as a fourth-grade teacher because my kids would have never given me that.” Walz then warned that what Trump and Vance are envisioning “might be worse than a concept, because what he explained is pre-Obamacare.”
Taking this subject very seriously and wanting to make sure all Americans understand what kind of healthcare nightmare we will live under if the Trump-Vance ticket wins, the Harris-Walz campaign anticipated this question. On Monday, ahead of the debate, the campaign released a detailed report that offers insight into what the Trump-Vance “concept” would look like, using all available evidence. As the report concludes, “Their plan adds up to this: eliminating health insurance and raising costs for tens of millions of Americans.”
Indeed, this dangerous Trump-Vance vision is connected to Project 2025, which seeks to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. This makes sense, given that when Trump was in office, he relentless tried to kill or maim the Affordable Care Act, leading to an estimated 2.3 million Americans losing their health insurance between 2017 and 2019. Healthcare under Trump-Vance would no doubt raise costs and lower coverage in even more ways.
Topping the list is sky-high premiums for those who need healthcare the most. For example, according to the report, insurers could charge pregnant women an extra $17,060 or more a year in premiums, and cancer patients could see their premiums jump by $140,510 or more, given the loss of protection for people with pre-existing conditions. As the report warns, “Their plan’s message to Americans is: You’re on your own.”
The report also highlights the fact that Trump and Vance would drastically cut Medicare and Medicaid, harming seniors and low-income families. Despite how the candidates may spin it, the Trump-Vance concepts of a plan would also lead to a nationwide abortion ban and “rip away” reproductive healthcare services.
While Harris and Walz have actual plans and detailed policies aimed at improving the lives of all Americans, Trump and Vance prefer offering copout concepts. The concepts are not only vague, but it’s clear that, if Trump and Vance are elected, these concepts will blossom into upside-down policy proposals that threaten to leave millions without access to affordable healthcare. If you have friends or family who trust that their healthcare will somehow be just fine under a second failing Trump term, you can direct them to this new and vital report, courtesy of KamalaHarris.com.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month