Why GOP hopefuls aren’t talking about health care costs

As the White House shifts into campaign mode, President Biden has leaned toward cutting healthcare costs, an issue that has barely been mentioned at the national gatherings of Republican candidates.

Hill reached out to 10 leading Republican candidates for ways to reduce healthcare costs and improve affordability. Only Rep. Will Hurd (Republican, Texas) responded.

With Republicans relatively silent, the White House has touted Democrat initiatives like allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, capping insulin costs, and cracking down on unexpected medical bills and “junk” insurance plans. There is plenty of room left.

Democrats say they care more about health care costs than Republicans, but the issue ranks high across the political spectrum.

according to Pew Research poll A survey released in June found that 64% of Americans said health care affordability was a “very big problem,” second only to inflation.

73% of Democrats said health care costs were their primary concern, compared with 54% of Republicans overwhelmingly. While still in the majority, they ranked health care costs behind problems such as inflation, violent crime, drug addiction and illegal immigration.

Republican pollsters said Republican primary voters have different concerns than general election voters, so it’s no surprise the candidate’s relative silence.

Chuck Coughlin, president and CEO of Arizona-based public relations firm Highground, said, “Even if it’s not an immigration issue, or an owner of liberalism or identity politics, “It’s a very narrow view of what issues are attractive to Republican voters and Republican primary voters.” Hard.

“If you’re a Republican, what are you going to talk about healthcare? Unless you vote for either Biden, you’re doing very little. [legislative] package. Naturally, I think there’s a big hole in the very narrow range of issues they’re focusing on,” Coughlin said.

Jim Merrill, a veteran Republican consultant in New Hampshire, said even if health care doesn’t particularly top the list for Republican primary voters, candidates may still have a chance to address the issue.

With the right mix of populist economic messages, candidates can carve out a unique space in a crowded arena, he argued.

“Will someone differentiate themselves and come up with a message about health care reform and do something that will differentiate them a little bit? I think the answer is yes,” Merrill said. “Given the time we have left and the next few months ahead, I think we have a chance to do so. And I think you are.”

Inflation and affordability remain major concerns among voters as Mr. Biden’s campaign gears up for 2024. The administration is focusing on pocket money issues aimed at curbing family spending and tying health policies to Mr. Biden’s economic success.

At an event in July that unveiled a new policy on “junk” plans and surprise claims, Mr. Biden raved about a list of achievements he credited for “Bidenomics.”

“The percentage of Americans without health insurance is at an all-time low. Premiums under the Affordable Care Act are $800 less per person than they were before I took office. Bidenmix. he said.

Mr. Biden reiterated the need for Americans to save money in remarks late last month at a manufacturing plant in Maine.

“My father used to say, ‘At the end of the month, the question is, do we have a little bit more — after we pay all the bills, do we have a little bit more room to breathe? Are you ‘finished?’ said Mr. Biden.

Republicans in Congress oppose many of the White House’s economic and health policies, arguing that these plans lead directly to higher prices.

But lawmakers are bipartisan on the need to cut healthcare costs, including capping the cost of insulin, changing how certain visits are billed, and reforming the pharmacy benefits administration industry. There is recognition of

Mr. Hurd told The Hill that he wanted to promote price transparency across various industry sectors, something Mr. Biden and former President Trump have also tried.

“We are using the same principle that brought down the cost of big-screen high-definition televisions — competition — to bring down healthcare costs. And true competition requires price transparency.” ‘ said Hurd.

“Price transparency will force healthcare providers to compete on costs, while Americans will not be afraid of unexpected health care costs and will be able to secure the best care for their unique needs at the lowest prices.” he added.

Still, health care hasn’t been a winning issue for Republicans since their failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and Democrats used that failure to win a majority in the House of Representatives in 2018.

“I think they are” [Republicans] We are not going to focus on health in this cycle. They have to give up their health to some extent as their problem. They now seem to be treating it as a loser’s problem for themselves,” said Drew Altman, president and CEO of the health policy research group KFF.

Another factor complicating the Republican response to healthcare affordability is that voters may not like the solution.

“Concerns about health care costs go beyond politics. Willingness to address the issue, support for measures to address the problem, these tend to be more receptive to Democrats,” Altman said.

“Either we are beyond that point already, or we have to regulate the healthcare industry because the healthcare industry is so integrated. I’m not very interested in either right now,” Altman said.

Presidential election results rarely focus on individual issues, but administration allies believe the White House has a winning strategy that ties health care and the economy together.

“In many cases, health care is like riding its own sidecar. Now it’s also an important part of the overall economic message for Democrats,” said the founder of the liberal advocacy group Protect Our Care. Executive Chairman Leslie Duck said.

But to take advantage of the Republican candidate’s base while it responds, it needs to break through the administration’s message.

A KFF poll released on Friday showed that even though Mr. Biden signed the bill into law almost a year ago, the Inflation Reduction Act, a signature Democrat achievement, has reduced the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare subscribers. It turns out that few American adults are aware that the goal is to reduce

“Not enough people know about the benefits” [of the law]. I think it’s true,” Dutch said. “But as these things come into play, it all gets better for the American people. And for the Democrats.”