I cover health care.
After several elections with health care at the forefront, the issue has faded into the background this cycle. But the stakes are still high.
The next president could influence how many people have health insurance, how much many pay for it, the prices of prescription drugs and more through regulatory power alone. In the event that either candidate is elected with legislative majorities, the differences could be even larger.
The Morning has been writing on how the election will matter for major areas of public policy. Today, I’ll break down the stakes for health care.
Insurance
For people who use Obamacare, a lot of money is at stake.
During the pandemic, Democrats raised the subsidies that help 20 million Americans buy their own insurance. Poor Americans can get covered without paying a cent, and even people making north of $100,000 got help with premiums. But if Congress does nothing, the new subsidies will expire at the end of next year. That would likely leave more than three million uninsured — and would make nearly everyone insured through Obamacare pay more.
Donald Trump’s campaign says he opposes an extension, which might cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Kamala Harris wants the subsidies to be permanent, though she probably wouldn’t get her way if Republicans control Congress.