Biden: Promises Kept / Promises Broken: on Health Care


Joe Biden: No transgendered discrimination by healthcare providers

PROMISE MADE: (JoeBiden.com campaign website): Trump has proposed to allow health care providers to discriminate based on a patient's gender identity. President Biden will defend the rights of all people--regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity--to have access to quality, affordable health care free from discrimination.

PROMISE PARTLY KEPT: (NBC News, 5/10/21): The Biden administration is reversing a policy introduced that limited protections for transgender people in health care. In a victory for LGBTQ advocates, the change will bar health care providers who receive federal funding from discriminating based on someone's gender identity or sexual orientation.

ANALYSIS: If a transgendered person goes to an HMO that doesn't receive federal funding, it's still legal to discriminate against them for being transgendered--that's not "all people"! To address private HMOs would require state and federal legislation.

Source: NBC News on Biden Administration promises May 10, 2021

Joe Biden: Made 100M vaccination goal, but not 70% goal

PROMISE MADE: (Newsweek, Jan. 15, 2021): Biden formally rolled out his aggressive, federally backed delivery plan to meet his goal of getting 100 million shots administered in his first 100 days in office. "Some wonder if we're reaching too far with that goal--is it achievable?" Biden said. "Let me be clear: I'm convinced we can get it done.

PROMISE KEPT: (NBC News, March 18, 2021): Biden said he was poised to meet his goal of administering 100 million Covid-19 vaccination shots in his first 100 days more than 40 days ahead of schedule. "I am proud to announce that tomorrow, 58 days into my administration, we will have met our goal," Biden said in a speech at the White House.

ANALYSIS: Biden subsequently made and then walked back a goal of 150 million shots, a goal that is expected to be met as well. Biden then proposed 70% vaccination rate by July 4th; the US reached 67% on July 4 and reached 70% several weeks later.

Source: Newsweek & NBC analysis of Biden Promises Mar 18, 2021

Joe Biden: Mandate COVID masks in all federal buildings

PROMISE MADE: (WPTV-5 coverage of NBC News Town Hall, 10/6/20): On coronavirus: "As president of the United States, I would make a federal mandate on federal property buildings; you must wear a mask. Period. And you must socially distance," Biden said.

PROMISE KEPT: (Executive Order on Mask-Wearing, 1/20/21): The heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall immediately take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to require compliance with CDC guidelines with respect to wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, & other public health measures by: on-duty or on-site Federal employees; on-site Federal contractors; and all persons in Federal buildings or on Federal lands.

OnTheIssues ANALYSIS: "Mask mandates" are a core political issue at the state level: whether to mandate masks for state employees (as Biden has done for federal employees), versus for the public at-large (which Biden has not done).

Source: White House press release on Biden Promises Jan 20, 2021

Joe Biden: Re-open ACA enrollment; restore ObamaCare to pre-Trump level

PROMISE MADE: (Biden-Sanders debate 3/15/20): Pass the Biden healthcare plan, which takes ObamaCare, restores all the cuts made to it [under Trump]. Subsidize it further.

PROMISE KEPT:(Executive Order on Medicare 1/28/21): It is the policy of my Administration to protect and strengthen Medicaid and the ACA and to make high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every American. In light of the exceptional circumstances caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, establish a Special Enrollment Period for uninsured and under-insured Americans to seek coverage through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace.

OnTheIssues ANALYSIS: Biden made his promise at the beginning of the pandemic, and all healthcare policy in 2021 is tied up with the pandemic. Biden has largely restored ObamaCare cuts--by reopening ACA enrollment--and largely subsidized ObamaCare--via pandemic spending and pandemic justification.

Source: White House press release on Biden Promises Feb 2, 2021

Joe Biden: Cap insurance at 8.5% of income instead of 10%

PROMISE MADE: (2020 campaign website JoeBiden.com): [On health insurance cost regulations]: As President, Biden will help middle class families by eliminating the 400% income cap on tax credit eligibility and lowering the limit on the cost of coverage from 9.86% of income to 8.5%. This means that no family buying insurance on the individual marketplace, regardless of income, will have to spend more than 8.5% of their income on health insurance.

PROMISE KEPT: (CNN, 3/6/21): [In the stimulus plan]: Enrollees would pay no more than 8.5% of their income towards coverage, down from nearly 10% now. Also, those earning more than the current cap of 400% of the federal poverty level--about $51,000 for an individual and $104,800 for a family of four in 2021--would become eligible for help. Both chambers seek to entice states that have yet to expand Medicaid to low-income adults to do so by boosting their federal Medicaid matching funds by 5 percentage points for two years.

Source: CNN "Senate stimulus" analysis of 2021 Biden Promises Mar 6, 2021

Joe Biden: $119 billion to build public confidence in vaccines

PROMISE MADE: (2020 campaign website JoeBiden.com): Plan for the effective, equitable distribution of treatments and vaccines because discovering isn't enough if they get distributed like Trump's testing and PPE fiascos. Invest $25 billion in a vaccine manufacturing and distribution plan that will guarantee it gets to every American, cost-free.

PROMISE KEPT: (CNN 3/6/21): The [stimulus bills] provide $14 billion to research, develop, distribute, administer and strengthen confidence in vaccines. They would also put $47.8 billion toward testing, contact tracing and mitigation, including investing in laboratory capacity, community-based testing sites and mobile testing units. Both chambers would also allocate $7.7 billion to hire 100,000 public health workers to support coronavirus response. The legislation also provide $50 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with some of the funds going toward expanding vaccination efforts.

Source: CNN "Senate stimulus" analysis of 2021 Biden Promises Mar 6, 2021

Joe Biden: $8.5 billion for rural hospitals, for telehealth & COVID

PROMISE MADE: (2020 campaign website JoeBiden.com downloaded 3/11/21): The Biden Administration will provide rural health care providers with funding and flexibility necessary to identify, test, and deploy innovative approaches to keeping their doors open and providing care for the unique needs of rural communities.

PROMISE KEPT: (CNN 3/6/21): The Senate bill allocates $8.5 billion to help struggling rural hospitals and health care providers.

White House Press Release: (8/13/2021): [The $8.5B will go towards]: