With so many issues on the table as the November general election approaches, voter polls and observations by advocacy groups suggest that access to health care is high on the list of issues motivating voters in Ohio and beyond this election season.
Protect Our Care, a national advocacy group focused on health policy, said Medicaid coverage expansion, protections for pre-existing conditions, preventive care and other areas covered by the Affordable Care Act could change depending on the outcome of the November election. Can be legislated At the federal and state levels, Subject of litigation Every state elected official who appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court means consequences for the national and state health care systems.
“It may not be as existential as the climate, but for people with diabetes it feels very existential,” said Leslie Duck, president of Protect Our Care.
A June 2024 poll conducted by Heart Research in partnership with Protect Our Care found that 48% of voters surveyed considered health care issues “very important” heading into this year’s election.
The survey found that lowering health insurance costs and prescription drug prices topped voters’ health care priorities, followed by ensuring that all Americans have access to quality health care.
Ohio State is AMedicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act The expansion came to the state, and one study said it saved the lives of more than 1,400 Ohioans in the four years following the 2014 expansion.
As of June 2024, Ohio Department of Medicaid Ohio reported that 789,783 Ohioans were enrolled in the ACA Medicaid expansion plan and 134,593 were enrolled in the Medicare Premium Assistance Program (MPAP), a program designed to help low-income people who don’t qualify for Medicaid, which pays for their premiums through a separate Medicare program, according to ODM.
The Department of State said 3,072,880 Ohioans were enrolled in all programs under its supervision.
As of February of this year, more than 477,000 people in Ohio You purchased insurance as part of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace plan.This is up from 294,644 the previous year.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump previously They are trying to repeal the ACA.If he becomes president again, this bill, called Obamacare, will go into effect.
President Joe Biden was vice president when Obamacare was enacted and has supported the bill. They are seeking an extension of the subsidy It is due to expire next year.
Ohio U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno criticized the programMeanwhile, incumbent U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown has consistently supported the ACA. I vowed to try harder.
Recent Pew Research Center survey In an April 2024 poll, 65% of Americans said the federal government “has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans have access to health insurance.”
Democrats overwhelmingly feel this way, with 88% of Democrats saying the federal government is to blame compared to just 40% of Republicans, though the survey showed that Republican support has risen 8 percentage points since 2021.
When it comes to how health insurance should be provided, the Pew Research Center survey found that 36 percent of people surveyed wanted a “single national program,” while 28 percent said there should be a combination of government and private programs.
While some people fear “big government” and object to using the federal government as a provider of access to health care, Dack said people support their tax money being used for health care programs “because it’s clear.”
“Expensive things are no longer expensive for people, and people are going to take their medicines and get their vaccines,” Duch said.
The chair of Protect Our Care said healthcare is a ballot issue because it not only affects health but also family finances.
“If someone in your family gets sick, your life is ruined,” Duck said. “It’s the same whether you live in a coal mining region or a high-tech region. People really want it to be affordable.”
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