While neither top presidential candidate is heavily focusing on health policy, analysts in the field expect major changes after the election regardless of who wins. Access and cost of care could change drastically for most Americans.

From the political history and campaign promises of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, health policy analysts anticipate action on the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid, price controls, market regulations, and other major U.S. health policies.

“Both candidates will pursue an aggressive health agenda through expansive regulatory and legislative efforts,” says Joel White, founder and president of Horizon Government Affairs. He said this would likely include changes to government-run programs, increasing controls on drug prices, and addressing inflation effects.

The number one voter health concern in swing states is affordability, which people are right to be concerned about, White said. If current trends continue, the typical American family will spend 40 percent of its income on health care by 2030.

Although more than 90 percent of Americans have some form of health insurance, Americans still worry about cost and access to care, which have worsened in recent decades. A poll by KFF found that nearly 3 in 4 Americans older than 18 rank health cost concerns above their concerns about gas, food, and rent.

Trump and Harris both promise more affordable health care, yet largely through different delivery mechanisms. Harris favors federal regulation while Trump’s presidency was marked by the deregulation of health care and expanding access to short-term insurance plans........

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