I Can’t Wait For The Health Care Debate

By Susan Rupe

Monday night's presidential debate already has been sliced and diced and spun a million different ways in the day or so since Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump shook hands on stage and went their separate ways.

Commentators on every channel and of every political viewpoint already declared which candidate they believed won the debate and why. So at this point I really can't think of anything to add to the post-debate debate. Except for one thing: I was disappointed that during the discussion on how to help working families improve their financial situations, not one word was spoken about retirement security.

But there are two more debates to go (the next one is Oct. 9), and I'm looking forward to hearing Clinton and Trump debate health care reform.

Oh, we already know what Clinton and Trump want to do about health care. Clinton wants to take the Affordable Care Act to new levels, allowing people to enroll in Medicare at age 55 and revisiting the idea of a public option. Trump has promised to repeal the ACA "from day one." In its place, he has proposed cutting insurance premiums, deregulating health care markets, and expanding the use of health savings accounts.

But I want to see both candidates on stage and in front of the TV cameras, facing each other and really going at this topic. I want Trump to ask Clinton how she can justify expanding something that was so badly flawed from the start. I want Clinton to press Trump for specifics on how Americans can obtain coverage while keeping costs down and making the whole system run more smoothly.

And what about the role that the new Congress will play in this? We tend to forget that control of Congress also is at stake in the November election. I haven't heard much from either candidate on how they plan to work with a Congress that may or may not hold the same political agenda as they do.

The next two debates should open more of a window into what Clinton and Trump think on the issues. Although televised debates frequently involve more theatrics than substance, they are one more way in which Americans can educate themselves before casting their votes.

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at [email protected].