ISSUE. The candidates for the 2020 presidential election are likely to emerge within a year, along with their campaign plans. Such plans will include, if not feature, health policy proposals, given this issue's general significance as well as the ongoing debate over the Affordable Care Act. GOAL. To explain why campaign plans matter, review the health policy components of past presidential campaign platforms, and discuss the likely 2020 campaign health reform plans. METHODS. Review of relevant reports, data, party platforms, and policy documents. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS. Proposals related to health care have grown in scope in both parties' presidential platforms over the past century and affect both agendas and assessments of a president's success. Continued controversy over the Affordable Care Act, potential reversals in gains in coverage and affordability, and voters' concern suggest a central role for health policy in the 2020 election. Republicans will most likely continue to advance devolution, deregulation, and capped federal financing, while Democrats will likely overlay their support of the Affordable Care Act with some type of Medicare-based public plan option. The plans' contours and specifics will be developed in the months ahead.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)