Major Health Law and Policy Positions Among 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates

• Published in: The Journal of law, medicine & ethics medicine & ethics, 2019-09, Vol.47 (3), p.459-464
• Main Authors: Hodge, James G., Barraza, Leila, Castagne, Michelle, Fleming, Hannah-Kaye, White, Erica N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abortion; Advocacy; Bisexuality; Candidates; Clean technology; Climate change; Drug prices; Environmental policy; Federal court decisions; Firearm laws & regulations; Governors; Gun violence; Health care; Health care access; Health care policy; Health Policy; Health risks; Health services; Health technology assessment; Humans; Law; Marijuana; Mass murders; Medicare; Mental health care; Mental health services; Military bases; Narcotics; National health insurance; Opioids; Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act 2010-US; Political campaigns; Political platform; Politics; Presidential candidates; Presidential elections; Prevention; Public health; Public Health - legislation & jurisprudence; Reproductive rights; State elections; Suicides & suicide attempts; Transgender persons; Trump, Donald J; United States
• ISSN: 1073-1105; 1748-720X
• DOI: 10.1177/1073110519876181

Assuring the nation's health promises to be among the premier political objectives underlying the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. In 2018, we (and others) identified major public health threats emerging from the 2016 election of President Donald Trump (and Republican control in over half the states).1 The short- and long-term public health repercussions from related shifts in national policies ranging from health care access to climate change are substantial. Now, a diverse field of over 20 leading Democratic-declared Presidential candidates (ages 37-77 years) are prioritizing health issues in their campaigns. Assessing candidates' positions since the inception of their campaigns, we have identified 10 primary health law and policy platforms as of June 1, 2019. Candidates' dominant themes center on universal health care, climate change, and reproductive rights. Many also address policies on mental health coverage, gun violence prevention, and Affordable Care Act (ACA) reforms.2 Just over half of candidates are opining on regulated substances (e.g., opioids, cannabis), health interests and rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons, and lowering of prescription drug prices. As discussed below, the candidates' varying ideas on these issues deviate significantly from the current administration's policies and, at times, from each other's proposals.