Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and democratic candidate frontrunner Kamala Harris have differing stances and history on healthcare policies important to orthopedic and spine surgeons.
Mr. Trump has released a policy platform called Agenda 47, providing a window into his stance on several issues. Ms. Harris has yet to release an agenda, but she has spoken broadly about the issues most important to her campaign. Here are quick points on Medicare, prescription drug prices and taxes from each candidate.
Medicare
Mr. Trump promised to protect Medicare. "Republicans will increase transparency, promote choice and competition, and expand access to new affordable healthcare and prescription drug options. We will protect Medicare and ensure seniors receive the care they need without being burdened by excessive costs," states Project 47.
Ms. Harris supported protecting Medicare for future generations during her vice presidency, and proposed Medicare expansion. The Biden administration also tackled new roles for Medicare Advantage, with restrictions on prior authorization and payer marketing practices, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Prescription drug prices
Mr. Trump proposed a "Most Favored Nation" system to reveal international reference prices for Medicare-covered drugs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. He also proposed Medicare Part D changes to cap out-of pocket costs.
Ms. Harris supported the Inflation Reduction Act while vice president, which would let Medicare negotiate prices for some drugs. She also cast the deciding vote in Congress to limit monthly insulin costs to $35 for Medicare Part B and Part D beneficiaries.
Taxes
Mr. Trump said he planned to cut the corporate tax rate by 1%, according to The New York Times.The new corporate tax rate would be 20%. He also proposed extending his 2017 tax cut law, which otherwise would expire after 2025. Mr. Trump has also floated ending taxes on Social Security benefits.
Ms. Harris hasn't outlined an economic policy yet. She may follow President Joe Biden's team, which talked about ending the 2017 tax breaks for the "ultra-wealthy" and scaling back permanent corporate tax breaks, according to reports from CNBC. It is unclear whether Ms. Harris will carry on Mr. Biden's pledge not to raise taxes on people making less than $400,000 per year.