Congresswoman (D-VA) Jennifer McClellan
By Alexis Reyes
On Saturday, August 17th, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and Congresswoman (D-VA) Jennifer McClellan hosted a roundtable for local community members to share their experiences regarding medical coverage and the impact that presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris will have on the future of medical costs. The roundtable also addressed the concerning changes that Donald Trump would implement if elected.
Crowley opened the roundtable by sharing the positive news of what medical coverage would look like under Donald Trump, based on past actions of the former president and his statements about what he intends to do if elected again. This future would attack medical and healthcare coverage and resources, negatively impacting at least 2.4 million people in Wisconsin.
Congresswoman McClellan then shared the continuation of progress that Americans can expect under Kamala Harris. Harris has already brought a shift to the election, bringing a “culture of joy,” according to McClellan, a shift that many believe is needed and that has been seen at this week’s Democratic National Convention. Harris intends to continue expanding and improving the coverage and resources that are provided through the ACA and legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. Just last Thursday, August 15th, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Medicare successfully negotiated with pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the prices of the first ten drugs so that millions of Americans on Medicare will see “drug costs go down on some of the most common and expensive prescription drugs that treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, blood clots, and more.” (www.whitehouse.gov) This was possible thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law under the Biden-Harris administration, allowing Medicare the power to negotiate pricing with pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Community members shared their backgrounds, all having experienced benefits individually or for their families from the ACA. All shared different, yet significant, medical challenges and diagnoses such as cancer diagnoses, heart transplants, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes, that alone cause immense stress for an individual without taking into account the financial demands of such situations. The ACA directly alleviated many of the stressors by ensuring that coverage was easily and readily accessible. They were able to have been covered by insurance for preventative and follow-up care, medication that would have otherwise caused many to go into debt or not been able to have been purchased at all, and protecting their children, due to the extension of insurance benefits to children until the age of 26 under the ACA.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
Crowley then presented the question, what are the fears and concerns if this coverage is taken away, something that is likely to happen under Trump. Many feared for their ability to afford life-saving medication at the expense of going bankrupt, depleting retirement funds, or choosing between basic needs and medication. Others shared concerns not only for themselves but also for their children. Ultimately, all shared a common concern, which was not only for their quality of life but also a fear of dying as a result of coverage being taken away.
However, they were all optimistic about the future. They believe that under Kamala Harris, they will not need to fear for their coverage and access to healthcare but instead, have hope.
Community members believe that a better quality of life will not only be provided to them but also their children. They also hope that a culture of civility towards one another will be re-established under Kamala Harris.
Crowley and McClellan closed the roundtable with a call to action and optimism. McClellan reiterated that Trump will not just repeal all of the work that has been done to improve medical coverage and access for all, but will also implement laws to undermine current legislation and prevent progress. Crowley ended the roundtable with Wisconsin’s motto: Wisconsin Forward, emphasizing that any regression of the progress that has been made goes against Wisconsin values.