Watching Tuesday’s presidential debate on ABC Information, you’d be forgiven for considering that Trump and Harris couldn’t be extra completely different on well being care coverage. Trump has stripped girls of their federal protections relating to the Supreme Court docket’s abortion ruling and desires states to chart their very own particular person paths. Harris needs to revive Roe’s federal protections so that ladies in numerous states are on an equal footing on the subject of points surrounding their pregnancies and the choice to terminate them.

Past that, additionally they face off on the Reasonably priced Care Act, although Trump seems to have resigned himself to the truth that it's now a preferred coverage amongst most People — when requested how he would repeal and enhance the ACA, he mentioned he had “drafts of a plan.” Broadly talking, the variations heart on the truth that Trump has typically supported “deregulating medical health insurance and rolling again public applications,” whereas Harris would probably push ahead with “elevated federal spending on well being care,” mentioned Cynthia Cox, vp and director of the ACA program at KFF, a nonprofit well being coverage analysis and information group.

However consider it or not, there are just a few areas the place Harris and Trump have similarities, and it’s a must to look again to the previous to see that. For instance, preventing well being care prices via value transparency.

“We've seen a lot much less formal coverage platforms on either side,” mentioned Rachel Nuzum, senior vp for Federal and State Well being Coverage on the Commonwealth Fund. “And a part of that’s as a result of we primarily have two incumbents. … As a result of we don't have these expansive coverage platforms that we've had prior to now, we actually have to take a look at their historical past, their monitor document and clearly a few of their feedback.”

Well being care prices

One level of settlement between the 2 candidates vying for the highest job is combating well being care prices via value transparency.

Throughout his presidency, Trump signed the No Surprises Act, which protects sufferers from surprising medical payments after they obtain out-of-network care. The Biden-Harris administration started implementing the No Surprises Act in 2021 and proposed increasing the protections to floor ambulance suppliers.

The Trump administration additionally issued a value transparency rule that requires hospitals to publish negotiated costs for his or her companies. Nonetheless, there have been challenges implementing the worth transparency adjustments as a result of there wasn’t a lot standardization, so the Biden-Harris administration expanded the rule, Cox mentioned.

“The Biden administration got here in and actually continued in the identical path because the Trump administration, and constructed on what the Trump administration had began,” she mentioned. “They created extra standardization to enhance the implementation of this rule. … I believe a variety of Biden’s well being care insurance policies have been a direct response to what Trump had performed, to undo issues that Trump had performed. [But] That is an instance the place they really constructed on what Trump began.”

Trump and Harris additionally seem to have an curiosity in tackling anti-competitive measures, reminiscent of well being care mergers, Nuzum mentioned.

“Each camps are doubtlessly fascinated by higher understanding what’s behind a few of these mergers [and] the position of personal fairness within the healthcare sector,” she mentioned. “I believe there are a variety of similarities, we want extra info, we would like extra transparency.”

Prescription Drug Costs

A big portion of well being care prices are costly medicines. That is an space that will get a variety of consideration from each events, though the methods differ considerably. For instance, Trump created a mannequin that allowed Medicare Half D plans to voluntarily cap month-to-month insulin costs at $35.

As a substitute of constructing this voluntary, the Biden-Harris administration handed the Inflation Discount Act, which requires all Half D plans to cost not more than $35 per 30 days for lined insulin merchandise. It additionally units a $35 month-to-month cap on cost-sharing for Half B insulin.

The Inflation Discount Act additionally permits Medicare to barter costs with pharmaceutical corporations for sure Medicare Half B and Half D medicines, beginning with 10 medication. Nonetheless, it’s unclear what Trump’s place on the matter is, provided that this system continues to be in its early levels, Nuzum mentioned.

“We all know that coverage adjustments take time. Sufferers haven't figured it out but on the pharmacy, so I'm involved that that could possibly be slightly bit extra burdensome due to administrative adjustments, forms. … As soon as individuals have one thing, it's laborious to take it away,” she mentioned. “And I don't assume most individuals understand that they’ve decrease costs on Medicare for the set of 10, as a result of we haven't reached that time within the timeline but.”

One other well being care knowledgeable mentioned that whereas the 2 seem to have a “shared curiosity” in addressing drug prices, the IRA seems to be the place their paths diverge. Whereas Harris would probably broaden the negotiating program, Trump probably wouldn’t, in keeping with Adam Searing, an affiliate professor of apply at Georgetown College’s McCourt Faculty of Public Coverage’s Middle for Kids and Households. Trump’s efforts have targeted extra on making an attempt to import medication from different international locations, reminiscent of Canada, on the decrease costs these international locations pay. Searing added that, so far as he can inform, pharmaceutical corporations usually are not pleased with both candidate’s technique.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Each candidates have mentioned they help entry to IVF remedies, and Trump referred to as himself a “chief” on this house through the debate, although this may increasingly battle together with his celebration’s platform. Based on KFF, Trump would require the federal government or insurance coverage corporations to cowl IVF, whereas Harris “helps assured rights to IVF.” She additionally spoke out in opposition to the Alabama Supreme Court docket resolution that dominated that embryos created throughout IVF needs to be thought of kids.

How this well being care coverage will play out stays to be seen — in any case, all politicians reverse their positions when truly elected. However taken broadly, Harris' well being care technique seems to be targeted on increasing entry to care, whereas Trump's coverage is essentially targeted on decreasing authorities interference.

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