Biden and Harris unite for a crucial joint event in North Carolina to address GOP stance on healthcare

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made a unified stand against Republicans on health care during their visit to North Carolina on Tuesday. This move aims to emphasize a key issue they believe will resonate with voters leading up to the November election.

Their joint appearance in Raleigh was a rare occurrence, underscoring the importance they place on addressing health care issues as they gear up to compete against former President Donald Trump. The timing of their visit coincided with the Supreme Court's hearing on access to the abortion medication mifepristone, setting the stage for a crucial decision this summer that could significantly impact abortion rights.

Biden’s advisers saw Tuesday’s visit as a chance to show the difference between the Democratic vision for health care and reproductive rights and the Republican proposals. The visit follows a campaign criticizing Trump for his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act if he wins a second term.

During a speech at Chavis Community Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, Biden mentioned, “Donald Trump and MAGA friends are persistent. They’ve tried to repeal it 50 times, not a joke. Fifty times they’ve tried to repeal it. We stopped them every time now. Kamala and I are here in North Carolina to celebrate the ACA and to remind everyone that we can’t take anything for granted.”

The Biden campaign sees North Carolina as a potential win in the upcoming election, especially after Trump's narrow victory in the state in 2020. A recent poll shows a close race with Trump at 51% and Biden at 48% among registered voters.

This trip to North Carolina was the last stop in the president's tour of key battleground states following the State of the Union address. In less than three weeks, he has visited several states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, New Hampshire, and Texas. Campaign officials believe states like North Carolina and Georgia are crucial for the president's reelection strategy.

Biden and Harris are gearing up to highlight healthcare as a key issue in the 2024 campaign, focusing on the latest state to expand Medicaid for low-income adults.

The duo reacted to a recent budget proposal by the Republican Study Committee, which suggests various cuts and alterations to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, along with other government programs. This proposal includes discontinuing federal subsidies for middle- and higher-income individuals, removing protections for people with preexisting conditions, reversing Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices, and making adjustments to Medicaid programs in states.

Biden and Harris discussed the success of the Affordable Care Act and talked about plans to improve access to healthcare and reduce prescription drug costs.

Biden warned that if the ACA is repealed by Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress, 45 million Americans, including 1.4 million in North Carolina, would lose their health insurance.

Harris, who is known for her strong stance on abortion rights, pointed out the contrast between Democrats' efforts to protect reproductive rights and Republicans' attempts to restrict them. She criticized Trump for appointing three Supreme Court justices who played a role in overturning the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022. The campaign believes that reproductive rights will be a key issue that motivates voters in the upcoming November elections.

Biden's team is also counting on the popularity of the Affordable Care Act and proposals to reduce healthcare and prescription drug expenses to appeal to voters. Democrats have highlighted the Republican Study Committee's budget proposal for fiscal year 2025 as a glimpse into how Republicans would handle healthcare issues if they were to win the White House and Congress in the upcoming fall elections.

The Republican Study Committee's proposal includes a plan to stop federal premium subsidies for middle- and higher-income Americans. These subsidies were originally included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, both of which were passed by Democrats and are set to expire at the end of 2025.

The proposed changes would remove the strong federal protections for individuals with preexisting conditions under the Affordable Care Act. This would allow states to offer less comprehensive insurance plans in order to lower costs and attract younger, healthier customers. States would have the authority to limit how much more insurers could charge those with preexisting conditions and establish federally subsidized coverage pools for high-risk individuals.

Under the current Obamacare regulations, there are restrictions on how much insurers can increase premiums for individuals in their 50s and early 60s. While this makes coverage more affordable for this age group, it can lead to higher premiums for younger consumers.

The budget proposal includes turning Medicaid into a block grant program, which means states would receive a fixed amount of federal funding instead of the current open-ended system based on states' costs. Additionally, funding for children in Medicaid and CHIP would be shifted into a block grant that families could use to purchase coverage.

According to the White House, the proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and CHIP would result in a $4.5 trillion reduction in federal spending over the span of a decade.

The committee is considering a proposal that would remove Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices, which was granted under the Inflation Reduction Act. The Biden administration believes this change will help lower costs and reduce the deficit.

Additionally, the committee's proposal includes repealing other drug-related provisions of the law. This would mean eliminating the cap on monthly insulin costs at $35 and setting an annual limit of $2,000 for out-of-pocket drug expenses for Medicare beneficiaries.

Other changes to Medicare would involve introducing "premium support," often criticized as vouchers, to give Medicare beneficiaries the option to purchase private health insurance plans. Advocates of this idea believe these plans would create competition with traditional Medicare. However, some critics argue that this could lead to increased premiums for many older adults.

Biden's track record

Meanwhile, Biden has been proudly sharing his accomplishments in healthcare to showcase the progress he has made compared to his predecessor and potential opponent in the 2024 presidential race.

A historic 21 million individuals have enrolled for coverage in the Affordable Care Act exchanges for 2024. The increased federal premium subsidies have attracted numerous consumers to opt for Obamacare plans.

Over 45 million individuals have received coverage through the Affordable Care Act, as reported by the Biden administration. In addition, the president has prioritized lowering drug prices, particularly through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Biden has also proposed making the enhanced Obamacare subsidies permanent. He wants to increase the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate annually to at least 50. Additionally, he aims to expand the caps on insulin and out-of-pocket drug costs for those with private insurance. Moreover, he plans to provide Medicaid-like coverage to low-income adults in the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid.

North Carolina is currently considering Medicaid expansion.

During his visit to North Carolina, Biden emphasized the state's achievement in providing health insurance to over 400,000 residents through the Affordable Care Act.

In December, North Carolina joined 39 other states in expanding Medicaid to low-income adults. Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, had been pushing for this provision of the Affordable Care Act for years. Finally, he was successful in convincing the Republican-led legislature to overcome their opposition.

North Carolina has become the first state to expand Medicaid through the legislative process since 2018. In the past few years, seven GOP-led states, including South Dakota in 2022, have approved expansion through the ballot box.

The state of North Carolina predicts that around 600,000 residents could now qualify for Medicaid under the expansion. Those with individual incomes up to $20,783 and families of four with incomes of $43,100 are eligible to benefit from this expansion.

Ten GOP-led states, including Texas, Georgia, and Florida, have not expanded Medicaid yet. This means that 1.5 million Americans are stuck in the "coverage gap" - earning too much for Medicaid but too little to qualify for federal premium subsidies for Obamacare.

The Biden administration is trying to convince more states to expand Medicaid. Through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, states that choose to expand will receive increased federal funding for two years to help cover the costs.

Several Republican legislatures have been considering Medicaid expansion this year, but so far none have approved them. Kansas and Georgia Statehouse committees rejected bills last week, while Mississippi's House passed legislation to expand Medicaid and the Senate is currently reviewing it.

The president's visit is happening during one of this year's most competitive governor's races. Attorney General Josh Stein, a moderate Democrat, and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a right-wing firebrand known for controversial remarks, are set to compete in November's election to replace the term-limited Governor Cooper.

CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional developments on Tuesday.

Editor's P/S:

President Biden and Vice President Harris's united stand against Republicans on healthcare during their visit to North Carolina underscores the importance of this issue in the upcoming election. The Democrats aim to contrast their vision for healthcare, which includes protecting the Affordable Care Act and access to abortion rights, with the Republicans' proposals that would cut programs and restrict reproductive rights. The Biden administration's focus on expanding Medicaid and lowering drug prices resonates with many voters, especially in states like North Carolina where Medicaid expansion is recent and the governor's race is competitive.

The Republican Study Committee's budget proposal, which would make significant changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, has become a target of criticism for Democrats. They argue that the proposed cuts to these programs would harm millions of Americans and roll back progress made in healthcare affordability and access. The White House estimates that the changes would result in a $4.5 trillion reduction in federal spending over a decade, potentially affecting many individuals and families who rely on these programs for their health and well-being. the nation's health system.