Ahead of Election Day, health care continues to be one of the most important issues for American voters across the country in 2020 — just as it was when Democrats captured the House in 2018. Coverage points out that Democrats have once again focused their efforts on reminding voters of Trump and Republicans’ years-long effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act legislatively, and now at the Supreme Court. One week after the election, the court will hear oral arguments in California v. Texas, the Trump-GOP lawsuit that if successful would rip coverage from more than 20 million Americans and remove protections for 135 million people with pre-existing conditions in the middle of an ever-worsening pandemic. Now, more than ever, Americans’ health care is on the ballot.
New York Times: Fueled by Cash, Health Care and Trump’s Woes, Democrats Aim for Senate Control. “Democrats have focused relentlessly on health care in their campaigns, scorching Republicans for their yearslong drive to overturn the Affordable Care Act and its protections for pre-existing conditions. The power of the message has been amplified by the pandemic and public anxiety about health costs.” [New York Times, 10/31/20]
Wall Street Journal: Health Care in Spotlight as ACA Enrollment Begins Days Before Election. “The start of the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment Sunday comes as millions of Americans have lost or are losing job-based coverage during the coronavirus pandemic, casting a spotlight on health care in the final sprint of the presidential and congressional elections…The attention to open enrollment could mean more focus on health care in the election. Polling shows that the issue is already a paramount concern to voters. An October Wall Street Journal poll found the economy is the top issue for most registered voters followed closely or matched by the combined issues of health care and the coronavirus pandemic. Fifty-five percent of Americans had a favorable view of the ACA in October, up from 49% in September, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.” [Wall Street Journal, 11/1/20]
HuffPost: Here Are Voters’ Top Issues for 2020. “Voters’ perception that Biden is most focused on health care and the coronavirus lines up well with data on his campaign’s TV ad spending. It also makes sense: Both are major concerns for voters, and areas on which he holds the advantage. Trump’s ratings for handling the coronavirus have steadily worsened throughout the year, and voters now give Biden a significant edge in trust to handle the pandemic.” [HuffPost, 10/30/20]
Texas Tribune: At the Center of Many Texas Congressional Battles: Who Will Protect Preexisting Conditions Rules? “The issue has taken on even more salience during the coronavirus pandemic. Texas already had the highest rate and largest number of people without health insurance in the U.S. and the pandemic increased that rate — as of May, 29% of Texans under the age of 65 were uninsured. It has also sprouted worries that having had the virus would be a preexisting condition if protections were eliminated.” [Texas Tribune, 10/31/20]
New York Times: A Chance to Expand Medicaid Rallies Democrats in Crucial North Carolina. “North Carolina, a crucial battleground for the presidential race and control of the United States Senate, has another coveted prize at stake in this election, one that is drawing serious out-of-state money, dominating television ads and driving get-out-the-vote efforts. Democrats believe they have a chance of gaining control of the State Legislature for the first time in a decade, which would make it possible to expand Medicaid to cover half-a-million more low-income adults here after years of Republican resistance.” [New York Times, 10/27/20]