December 23, 2020

Vice Presidential Debate: The Healthcare Issues That Took Center Stage

  • Healthcare policy figured prominently in the vice presidential debate Wednesday evening between Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic Senator Kamala Harris.
  • Harris called the Trump administration’s handling of the COVID-19 a failure while Pence defended the White House’s actions.
  • Harris also said the Trump administration is seeking to eliminate the mandate for coverage of preexisting medical conditions while Pence said the White House has a plan to provide coverage for everyone.

“COVID has exposed the serious problems with our current healthcare system,” Elizabeth Mitchell, chief executive officer of the Pacific Business Group on Health, told Healthline.

“[It] has given large employers a renewed sense of urgency to address the long-standing problems of high costs, poor quality, uneven access to care, and a lack of equity in our healthcare system.”

Mitchell added that these employers want policymakers to play their part in addressing all of these issues.

“What’s needed is less talk and more action making the changes we know will both strengthen American businesses and better enable them to offer their employees the health benefits they deserve,” she said.

“Each party has different views on how to tackle some of healthcare’s biggest problems and how big a role the government should play in doing so,” said Mitchell.

However, regardless of which party wins the White House, she emphasized, “We stand ready to work with policymakers and stakeholders to strengthen our healthcare system.”

Read the full article from healthline.com here

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