Alexi Cohan: Republicans and Democrats split on health care issues, could delay stimulus, insurance reform

Nov. 14--Republicans and Democrats are more divided than ever, including when it comes to decisions about health care, a Harvard expert said, which could halt or delay issues such as a second stimulus and insurance reform.

"This polarization is going to mean that we're not going to have a universal health insurance bill in the first two years of the president's term," said Robert Blendon, health policy political expert with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The division, coupled with a potentially republican Senate, also means moving along a Medicare For All debate is unlikely, Blendon said.

Another sticking point in health care policy remains a second stimulus bill to help struggling Americans impacted by coronavirus.

"Republicans do not feel the size of federal assistance should be of the scale the Democrats will," Blendon said.

Blendon said state and local governments will soon be running "giant" financial deficits, and without major federal aid, teachers could be laid off, non-COVID public health could be cut and mental health services could be reduced.

"They will face enormous deficits by the slowdown because sales and property taxes are very important in income for states," Blendon said.

He added, "The parties are going to differ, whether or not there is a bailout to help them through the next two or three years."

On key health policy issues such as the Affordable Care Act, 89% of Democrats agree to keep it and fix it compared to just 24% of Republicans who feel that way, Blendon said, citing data published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The data also showed more Democrats believe coronavirus policies should come from the national government while republicans favor the decisions of state and local governments, Blendon said.

Just 37% of Republicans have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to help the public compared to 53% of Democrats.

"Republicans and Democrats give you exactly the opposite answer about what (they) want the federal government to do over the next few years," Blendon said.

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