Although much of Joe Biden’s criticisms of President Trump revolve around the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, his campaign senses opportunities to tout its broader healthcare platform.
Still, it’s a tricky political play for the former vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee. Biden, 77, wants to play up the healthcare policy chops he built over the course of 36 years as a Delaware senator and eight in the White House. But he can’t come across as taking political advantage of the coronavirus crisis, which causes more deaths daily and is rapidly sinking the economy as swaths of people are suddenly put out of work.
In late March, the former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee wrote to Republican attorneys general asking them to drop a lawsuit that could invalidate the Affordable Care Act. Trump has supported the Texas-led lawsuit, which would undo the signature domestic achievement of Biden’s old boss, former President Barack Obama.
“At a time of national emergency, which is laying bare the existing vulnerabilities in our public health infrastructure, it is unconscionable that you are continuing to pursue a lawsuit designed to strip millions of Americans of their health insurance and protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the ban on insurers denying coverage or raising premiums due to pre-existing conditions,” the letter reads.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that it would not open a special enrollment period for the “Obamacare” marketplace despite skyrocketing unemployment often leading to many Americans losing their employer-sponsored insurance.
A number of Democrats blasted Trump for the decision, calling the move irresponsible in the midst of a pandemic. Biden took to Twitter, writing that “lives are at stake.”
“We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and the Trump Administration is preventing people from getting healthcare,” Biden tweeted. “I can’t believe this needs to be said, but President Trump needs to reopen Obamacare enrollment, and he needs to do it now.”
On Thursday, the Biden campaign sent out a press release quoting various Democratic healthcare professionals over the move, with statements by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Democratic congresswoman Karen Bass of California, a former physician assistant.
“This is yet another failure by the Trump Administration to act in this crisis and it’s jeopardizing Americans’ access to health insurance in the midst of a global pandemic — despite pleas from a bipartisan coalition of leaders, including the Republican Governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, to do so,” the letter reads.
Trump has not backed away from his position of repealing the ACA but has promised any new plan would be “better” and would protect those with preexisting conditions. Neither the White House nor his campaign has released a replacement bill, and the GOP’s attempt to repeal the law failed in 2017, when the party controlled both chambers of Congress.
“What we want to do is get rid of the bad healthcare and put in great healthcare,” Trump said in March.
Although Biden remains opposed to the “Medicare for all” proposal touted by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, his campaign is pushing a public option plan, which allows individuals to buy into Medicare instead of a private insurer.
“This is an opportunity to look at reconstructing the healthcare system in a way that can respond more rapidly and more effectively to these kinds of crises. Because it’s going to come again,” Biden said last week, with aides telling the press, “It is imperative the country move quickly to guarantee healthcare as a human right.”
As a record number of people now find themselves without health insurance, the GOP is once again on the defense over the issue. For months, Republicans were salivating over the opportunity to take on Sanders in a general election as he began winning Democratic primary states.
But Biden’s sudden victory on Super Tuesday and beyond meant Republicans would once again be forced to face an issue where they have no easy position.
In 2018, the Democratic wave was largely attributed to centrist candidates defending the ACA while many Republicans were caught flat-footed on the issue. Although polling about “Medicare for all” is mixed, when voters are told they would lose their private insurance, their thoughts on the issue quickly sour.
A public option, however, earns broad support from voters across the political spectrum, including from a majority of Republicans, according to some polls.
