With the 2020 Presidential Election now over and Joe Biden declared the 46th President-Elect of the United States of America, what does this mean for healthcare and medical practices and hospitals and insurance premiums all across the nation? Honestly, with a divided government, it means really stable times ahead for everyone as the government won’t be able to effect too much change. The stock markets are already reflecting this newfound stability from predictability.
This also gives our nation time to heal and focus on what matters most: true positive help and growth where American’s find and give it most: at the local level. Real doctors; real patients; real solutions. Let small business and community America have a chance to heal and reunite and the American people will once again show that they call the shots and produce the backbone of resilience that make us all Americans.
When it comes to healthcare, there are a few things we’ll be watching here at Top Doctor Magazine and let’s start with where the two campaigns saw common ground in this past election cycle: according to Trump’s campaign site, he also is envisaging a future in which the individual, whether patient or doctor, is in charge of their healthcare, “surprise billing” is banned, and veterans are protected and provided with “world-class” healthcare and services.
Surprisingly, both candidates have shared this common goal and to reduce prescription drug prices. Former Vice President Joe Biden has also made clear his intention to reduce prescription drug costs, by creating an independent commission to regulate drug costs and simultaneously removing tax breaks being given to pharmaceutical companies.
The similarities end there though, as Biden plans not on removing and repealing the Affordable Care Act, but rather reinforcing and enlarging it. He plans to add a public option plan that would allow all Americans to have premium-free healthcare that is similar to Medicare, regardless of any other insurance options available to the individual. Biden has mentioned that undocumented immigrants will be given access to this public option plan as well. His administration would also be removing the income cap that determines eligibility for a tax credit that assists in paying for insurance premiums.
While Trump has taken steps to separate government funding and abortion, Biden plans to resume financial support of Planned Parenthood, and allow federally funded abortions. Biden has shared a 775 billion dollar plan for child and elder care that will shorten waitlists for patients requiring home care, and allocating tax breaks for caregivers of elderly family members.
Finally, Biden intends to create a public health jobs corps that would employ hundreds of thousands of American healthcare workers to serve in prevention of diseases in communities that are currently understaffed, care for veterans, and combat addictions.
With President-Elect Joe Biden looking to claim the Oval Office come January, we can expect he will attempt big changes in the healthcare world. But with a Republican-controlled Senate, it will be very hard for any sweeping changes to be effected. Some may see this as a bad thing, but usually the less the government can do and the more small businesses and community leaders can do, the better for you and me across the nation. One such bottom-up innovation that is and will continue to make sweeping changes and advances to healthcare no matter what is Remote Patient Monitoring. With the advent of Covid-19, huge advances have been made in the world of telehealth. RPM uses digital technology to collect health information from patients and electronically transfer that data to their health care providers, who are then able to assess needs and make prescriptions for care. This ability to care for and monitor patients remotely has been an amazing asset in reducing the amount of in-person doctors appointments and ongoing visits required by doctors.
