As a result of the most recent presidential election, our country will soon be transitioning from the Trump-Pence Administration to Biden-Harris. As with any presidential transition, there are many changes to come, particularly changes in healthcare that impact cancer patients. While we have yet to see what the Biden-Harris Administration is able to actually change, they have shared their healthcare priorities and the changes they intend to make.
COVID-19 Response
Based on the publication of Foley Hoag LLP, president-elect Biden’s priority of his transition is to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Cancer patients of all types are most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, and it doesn’t help that cancer screenings have greatly declined as well. Getting the virus under control is important to return to daily life, but also to ensure that cancer patients and those at risk of getting cancer are getting the best, safest care possible. The goal of the Biden-Harris Administration is to distribute COVID-19 tests and vaccines in a rapid and equitable manner. They plan to focus most on high-risk groups such as healthcare workers, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions like cancer.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA)
President-elect Biden has expressed ideas for health insurance reform by building on and strengthening the ACA. He proposes a public health insurance option that will be available to anyone who wishes to purchase it, and he hopes to decrease the age of Medicare eligibility to 60. This will provide more affordable healthcare to cancer patients, particularly those aged 60-64, that don’t currently qualify for Medicare. Furthermore, The Biden-Harris Administration plans to interpret discrimination “on the basis of sex” to encompass sexual orientation and gender identity. By these means, no patient of any gender identity can be denied coverage by the ACA, a change from the Trump Administration. Additionally, Biden-Harris plans to maintain Section 1557 of the ACA, which prohibits discrimination based on disability and pre-existing conditions, like cancer.
Medicaid Policy
Regarding Medicaid, the Biden-Harris Administration expects to retract current policies that allow states to impose work requirements, reduce benefits, and increase cost-sharing in their Medicaid programs. This would allow many more people to have access to health insurance, and for those currently covered by Medicaid to have more benefits. In addition, they plan to seek support from Congress to provide even greater support for state Medicaid programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we transition into the Biden-Harris Administration, we should expect many changes very quickly. The two run-off elections in Georgia on January 5, 2021 determined that there is a Democratic Senate majority, allowing Joe Biden to potentially make greater changes than with a Republican majority. Based on their current plan, we can expect that there will be changes to improve healthcare coverage and decrease prices. Nonetheless, it’s important to keep up with the changes actually made, especially in the next few months, as they may change your health insurance benefits and costs and how healthcare will operate throughout the pandemic.
For a helpful source to keep up with the latest healthcare news, you may visit https://www.modernhealthcare.com/healthcare-news-this-week !
**Disclaimer: The Team at CARE does its best to provide you with accurate information but have to emphasize that we are not experts. Please consult your doctor/specialist to see what is best for you!
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