Biden's healthcare changes: what to expect
Biden's healthcare changes: what to expect
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Dear friends and colleagues,
Is it just me or 1/21/2021 feels like the start of a new year? A new chapter has arrived with the inauguration of Biden/Harris. And with it comes a wave of potential changes in healthcare policy.
Here are the highlights:
Inauguration Day: 3 Healthcare Executive Actions from Biden
President Biden signed his first executive actions on Wednesday afternoon, hours after being sworn in as the 46th commander in chief. 3 healthcare-related executive actions are:
1) “100 Days Masking Challenge”
Biden will launch the 100 days of wearing a mask challenge to set example by federal government
Requires all federal employees and contractors to wear masks + social distance in all federal building and lands
2) Re-enter World Health Organization
Reversing move from Trump admin to withdraw from WHO
Biden-Harris administration with Dr Fauci plan to participate in WHO executive board meeting this week
3) COVID-19 response coordinator
Assigned Coordinator will report directly to President Biden and will coordinate government’s pandemic response
Responsibility around making, supplying, distributing PPE, vaccines and tests
Executive order will restore NSC Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense (originally dissolved in 2018)
Other 5 ways Biden will make changes in healthcare:
1) Restoring Affordable Care act by defending it at Supreme Court
2) Expanding Medicaid for low-income Americans
3) Changing back abortion policy by revoking federal funding ban
4) Reducing drug costs (e.g. by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices)
5) Restoring healthcare rights for transgender patients
In any case, in the next few months we shall see the results of these policies.
I will end this article with my favorite quote from Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb”
When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Moving along stronger than before,
Katherine