Why GOP Hopefuls Arent Talking About Health Care Costs

President Biden is at the forefront of health care spending as the White House enters campaign mode, but that's not the only issue being cited by a group of Republican candidates across the country.

The Hill asked the top 10 Republican candidates how to lower health care costs and increase affordability. Only former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) responded.

The relative silence of the Republican Party in the White House has left more room for Democratic efforts, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, capping insulin costs, staggering medical bills and shoddy insurance plans.

While more Democrats say they care more about health care costs than Republicans, the issue is at the top of the political spectrum.

According to a Pew Research poll released in June, 64% of Americans say health care access is "a very big problem," second only to inflation.

73 percent of Democrats say health care costs are a big concern, compared to 54 percent of Republicans. But most of them leave behind health care costs such as inflation, violent crime, drug addiction and illegal immigration.

The candidates' relative silence is not surprising, since GOP voters in the primaries have different concerns about Republican voters than they do about voters in the general election.

"If it's not about immigration or, you know, liberal Democrats or identity politics, it's a very narrow view of what kind of issues Republican voters and Republican primary voters like," said Chuck Coughlin, HighGround Public Affairs. the president and executive director of Arizona: Be strong.

"If you were a Republican, would you talk about health care? If you don't vote for one of Biden's [legislative] packages, you've done very little. I just think it's a big hole, ironically, in covering the very narrow issues that they're focused on," Coughlin said.

"Although health care costs are not at the top of the list of key GOP voters, there may be an opportunity for candidates to exploit the issue," said Jim Merrill, a senior consultant for the New Hampshire Republican.

He argues that if a candidate offers the right mix of populist economic ideas, he can make a dent in a crowded field.

“Can somebody stand out and present some health reform message and do something that makes them a little bit different? I think the answer is yes," Merrill said. What you see is a reflection of where the primary voters are.

Inflation and affordability remain top concerns for voters as Biden's 2024 campaign moves forward. The administration has focused on wallet issues, helping families control costs and tying health care policies to Biden's economic success.

In July, Biden touted the success he attributed to "Bidenomy" while announcing a new policy on "dirty" plans and surprise bills.

"The rate of Americans without health insurance is very low. Affordable Care Act contributions are $800 less per person than before I took office. And that is bidonomics," he said.

In a speech at a Maine factory late last month, Biden reiterated the importance of Americans saving money.

"My father used to say: "The question at the end of the month is, do you have a little bit, when you've paid all your bills, do you have a little breather, a little breather?" room, little left. Is it all over? Biden said. "It's bidemic, guys!"

Republicans in Congress have rejected many of the White House's economic and health care policies, arguing that the programs have directly raised prices.

But lawmakers recognize the need to lower health care costs by capping the cost of insulin, changing the way certain hospital visits are billed or reforming the pharmacy-manager industry.

Hurd told The Hill that he wants to promote price transparency in the industry, something both Biden and former President Trump have tried to do.

“We're going to drive down health care costs using the same principle that drove down the cost of big-screen HDTV: competition. And for real competition, we need price transparency," Hurd said.

"Price transparency forces health care providers to compete on price, encouraging Americans to get their unique needs at lower prices without fear of unexpected medical bills," he said.

However, health care was not a winning issue for Republicans, as the party failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and Democrats took advantage of that failure to take control of the House in 2018.

"I think they [Republicans] are not focused on health care in this cycle. Depending on the health condition, they should leave it at a certain level. Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF Healthcare Research Group, said they now consider it a lost cause.

Another complication of the Republican response to health care affordability is that voters may not like the decision.

"Concerns about health care costs are beyond politics. Willingness to solve the problem, support for measures to solve the problem, tend to be more receptive among Democrats," Altman said.

“Either you have to let market forces go, and we're already past that stage because the healthcare industry is too centralized, or the healthcare industry takes over. And there's not a lot of appetite for any of those things right now,” Altman said.

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Presidential election results rarely touch on individual issues, but administration allies believe the White House has a winning strategy that combines health care and the economy.

"Health care often has its own cradle. Now it's also a key part of the Democrats' overall economic message," said Leslie Deutsch, founder of the libertarian advocacy group Save Our Care.

But the administration's message must be embraced to win as Republican candidates look to the base.

A KFF poll released Friday shows few U.S. adults are aware that the Democrat-signed Inflation Relief Act would lower the cost of prescription drugs for people on Medicare, a bill Biden signed into law a year ago.

Few people know about the benefits. I think that's true," Dutch said. “But when these things come out, it backfires on the American people. And for the Democrats?

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