Introduction
The election campaigns of the US presidential candidates for 2020 are a relevant topic for analysis and evaluation. Existing problems and challenges are constantly discussed in the press and at official meetings, which strengthens public interest in the upcoming election race. One of the significant aspects of each candidate’s plan is a strategic course for healthcare development in the country, and addressing this sector occupies an important place in elective programs. In order to analyze possible changes and innovations in the medical field of the state, the candidate program of Joe Biden will be considered in relation to healthcare. The comprehensive assessment of the issues addressed in the plan of the former vice president from the Democratic Party may make it possible to review the politician’s positions regarding possible changes.
Health Insurance Policy Strengthening
Health insurance is a topic that is addressed at many government meetings and has widespread publicity. According to Joe Biden’s official election program, the candidate intends to work actively in this direction, and one of the politician’s goals is to provide at least 97% of Americans with affordable insurance (“Joe Biden presidential campaign,” n.d., para. 27). Mr. Biden assures his electorate that, according to the official plan, more low-income people will be covered. One of the characteristic features of the program, which makes one pay attention to the goals of the politician, is the provision of a tax credit (“Joe Biden presidential campaign,” n.d.). Since Joe Biden is a Democratic candidate, he and his colleagues intend to mitigate the US resident’s interaction with insurers by strengthening revenue sharing practices (Glied & Lambrew, 2018). Such a measure will allow people to feel protected in the face of the complexity of the health insurance market.
Addressing Drug Prices Issues
Another significant aspect that Joe Biden’s program addresses in relation to healthcare is the monitoring and regulation of pharmaceutical companies concerning their pricing policies for medicines. According to the candidate’s plan, the fact that modern corporations have a legally justifiable opportunity to independently determine the cost of drugs, avoiding discussing this topic with Medicare, is unacceptable and “outrageous” (“Joe Biden presidential campaign,” n.d., para. 27). As a result, a set of interventions is aimed at solving this problem. Mr. Biden plans to limit the incompetent activities of companies in relation to price setting and competition in the pharmaceutical market (“Joe Biden presidential campaign,” n.d.). These measures may be an incentive for start-up corporations to promote their products successfully and help people who need vital drugs. In addition, value growth will also be monitored to prevent inflation and reduce the dominant influence of large brands.
Extension and Protection of Constitutional Rights to Medical Services
Since the protection of minority rights is an acute social issue, it is also reflected in the healthcare sector, and relevant discussions are held at the political level. According to the program promoted by Joe Biden, he intends to achieve equal rights to medical services for people regardless of their gender, age, or sexual orientation (“Joe Biden presidential campaign,” n.d.). These theses can be met positively because the problems of protecting the constitutional rights of certain categories of the population are raised regularly and cause significant public resonance. The politician is confident that medical employees cannot provide services based on stereotypes and bias. He seeks to make a difference and argues that “health care is a right for all – not a privilege for the few” (Biden, 2019, para. 3). Therefore, Mr. Biden’s program implies addressing these critical topics and analyzing those steps that can make medical services more liberal and affordable.
Addressing Narrow-Profile Diseases
In addition to the general goals and objectives that the presidential candidates set themselves, Joe Biden pays attention to the problems of a narrow profile. In particular, in accordance with his program, he intends to increase public access to mental health care and address any manifestations of specific disorders (“Joe Biden presidential campaign,” n.d.). This area of ​​the medical field is not often mentioned in official reports, but drawing attention to it at the national level may help improve the situation and reduce the number of patients with such diagnoses. In addition, as the politician himself notes, millions of people in the country are forced to experience the impacts of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions (Biden, 2019). They increase mortality rates and pose significant difficulties for healthcare professionals. Involving additional resources to help people with the aforementioned diseases is an important step towards improving health services and developing the sector as a whole.
Conclusion
Addressing healthcare topics in Joe Biden’s election program proves that the politician intends to take meaningful steps to improve the quality of medical services and access to them. The issues of health insurance, drug prices, citizens’ constitutional rights, and narrow-profile diseases are addressed in his plan. For meeting all the points, the representative of the Democratic Party intends to engage all possible resources in order to implement his program effectively and expand the capabilities of the modern healthcare sector.
References
Biden, J. (2019). Joe Biden: After my family’s car accident, health care became personal for me.CNN International. Web.
Glied, S. A., & Lambrew, J. M. (2018). How Democratic candidates for the presidency in 2020 could choose among public health insurance plans. Health Affairs, 37(12), 2084-2091. Web.
Joe Biden presidential campaign, 2020. (n.d.). Web.