The bipartisan group, which includes six former presidents of the American Medical Association, said while prices rise, access to health coverage will decline and Americans should pay attention.
By Mark Kreidler, Capital and Main
Some of the best in the country Health care leaders aren't sure Americans are paying much attention to the policies and practices that will accompany Donald Trump's second presidency. But its leaders certainly are.
They are indifferent to the possibilities. And they are sounding the warning drum now, not later.
Because they can't be sure if anyone is listening.
“You can disagree on foreign policy, you can disagree on domestic policy, you can disagree on economic policy,” Dr. Andrew Gurman, former president of the American Medical Association, told Capital & Main. “Choose what you want.” “But I think the most important thing in this election is health and health care. Under the Trump administration, health care will become more expensive and less accessible. This is especially true for underprivileged groups. “It’s not discussed enough,” he said.
Gurman is a co-author of the bipartisan letter. Recently released Inform the public about the serious consequences for America's health if Trump wins a second term. The letter was signed by 48 medical leaders, including six former presidents of the American Medical Association, former surgeon generals and four former acting surgeon generals.
Most of the signatories are veterans. This group is a mix of Democrats, Republicans, and independents. About 40% did not disclose their political party affiliation or had no affiliation, the spokeswoman said.
“The possibility that Americans will not receive essential health care services due to cost or lack of access is one of our greatest concerns,” their letter states. “If Donald Trump is elected president, he will make our fears come true.”
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. In response to an earlier inquiry from Fox Digital News, a Trump spokesperson called the contents of the letter “blatant lies” but did not elaborate.
The signatories are President Trump During his first term, he attempted and failed to repeal Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act, or ACA). The ACA provides government subsidies to help eligible people pay their health care premiums and includes a portal where you can sign up. Trump has said he would 'abolish and replace' this system if elected, but he did not offer any details.
The Trump administration cut in half the time it takes people to sign up for health care each year under the Affordable Care Act and eliminated individual mandates requiring people to sign up for insurance. As mandates were repealed and enrollment numbers declined, costs increased for the remaining insured.
Trump also sought to cut $7 billion in funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides affordable insurance to children whose parents are struggling financially but make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Gurman said many of those families will not see a doctor until they are too sick to go to the emergency room. This is the most expensive form of treatment.
Trump has made it clear that he wants to defund and place political control on government protective agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“If we don’t have an agency like the NIH, the CDC, the FDA to say, ‘No, ivermectin doesn’t work for COVID-19 and you shouldn’t inject bleach,’ that’s what keeps me up at night,” Gurman said. . . “Based on the experience of the past Trump administration, it’s pretty dark.”
Most people who were interested You won't be surprised by the content of the letter during Trump's term. What is so striking is the sense of urgency. For all the impressive credentials attached to the group, it's clear that the signatories feel they have to fight for political bandwidth in a country that sometimes seems almost accustomed to Trump-related warnings.
So they came out shaken.
Trump spokeswoman Caroline Levitt responded to Fox's inquiry about the letter. “President Trump is running to give people affordable health care options without repealing the Affordable Care Act, while (President) Joe Biden is destroying Obamacare and the entire health care system with his open border invasion. … “On day one of the Trump administration, we will close our borders, deport illegals, and cut off government benefits.”
But Trump’s past actions and stated plans go much deeper than that. “We believe that a second Trump term will be detrimental to the health of American families,” the signatories wrote. “We urge Americans from all walks of life to reject him and his policies.”
The fact that the signatories felt the need to release their message in May, well ahead of the national convention, speaks to their concern that the message will be lost amid the clamor for Trump's candidacy this summer.
“Trump will do terrible damage to the health care our people depend on, and he has never been challenged on this,” said Dave Petrie, communications co-chair of the National Security Leaders for America, which distributed the letter. He said.
These health care leaders are trying to do just that. More than one character may be required.
campaign activities