Highlights:
- JD Vance’s proposed Trump health care plan would increase costs for those with preexisting conditions and could weaken protections for pregnant people.
- JD Vance criticized the Affordable Care Act and called for its repeal.
- In 2022, Vance called the Affordable Care Act a disaster and repeatedly advocated for its repeal and replacement.
- In 2010, Vance called the Affordable Care Act “an abject failure of a reform package.”
- In 2018, Vance praised then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh for his dissent against an opinion that upheld the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.
- JD Vance opposed the Biden administration’s appointed public health officials.
- In 2023, Vance voted against confirming Bertagnolli as director of the NIH.
- In 2023, Vance criticized Biden’s choice to lead the CDC.
- JD Vance criticized health equity measures as bad for white people.
- Vance claimed the FDA was discriminating against white people during COVID.
- JD Vance opposed Medicare for All.
- JD Vance opposed using taxpayer money to provide health care for DACA recipients.
- JD Vance opposed gender-affirming health care for transgender people.
- Vance introduced legislation that would make providing gender-affirming care to minors a felony.
- Vance equated gender-affirming care to mental health problems.
¶ Vance’s Proposed Trump Health Care Plan Could Increase Costs For Those With Preexisting Conditions And Weaken Protections For Pregnant People
¶ Vance’s Proposed Trump Health Care Plan Would Increase Costs For Those With Preexisting Conditions
Vance’s Proposed Health Care Plan For The Trump-Vance Campaign Would Roll Back Affordable Care Act Protection And Split People Into Different “Risk Pools.” According to the New Republic, “This would appear to roll back some of the Affordable Care Act, which got rid of insurance companies’ ability to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions. Prior to President Obama’s legislation, it was difficult to get affordable health care coverage except through Medicare, Medicaid, or employer-based plans. While health care plans were available outside of that, insurers sought profits by weeding out people likely to require medical care. Vance said that under Donald Trump’s plan, Americans wouldn’t be put ‘into the same risk pools.’ In other words, healthier young people wouldn’t be in the same risk pool as older people more likely to need medical care, lowering costs for younger Americans. But doing so, as Vance suggests, would come at the expense of much higher charges for everyone else—especially older Americans and those with pre-existing conditions. Right now, the law allows insurance companies to bill older people up to three times as much as they do for the young, Vance is talking about making that gap even higher.” [New Republic, 9/17/24]
Vance’s Proposed The Trump Health Care Plan Would Let Insurers Charge More For Preexisting Conditions. According to the Intelligencer, “Donald Trump infamously said at the presidential debate he had the ‘concept of a plan’ to replace Obamacare. As is often the case when Trump commits verbal self-harm, it fell to J.D. Vance to turn his car wreck of a statement into an intelligible position. What Vance came up with is not only surprising but, if understood properly, far more damaging than Trump’s original statement. The Trump plan, according to Vance, is to permit insurance companies to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. Vance explained the Trump plan during an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker: ‘He, of course, does have a plan for how to fix American health care, but a lot of it goes down, Kristen, to deregulating insurance markets, so that people can actually choose a plan that makes sense for them.’” [Intelligencer, 9/17/24]
¶ The Plan Vance Floated Could Weaken Protections For Pregnant People
The Health Care Plan Floated By Vance Could Weaken Protections For Pregnant People. According to The 19th, “A health care proposal suggested by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance could gut a popular Affordable Care Act protection, making it legal for companies to charge more for or deny coverage of expensive medical conditions, including pregnancy. Speaking at a Wednesday event in North Carolina, Vance said that if elected, former President Donald Trump would change health insurance regulations so that people who are healthier and use their insurance less can have cheaper coverage, while those with chronic conditions or who use health care more would have different insurance.” [The 19th, 9/19/24]
¶ Vance Criticized The Affordable Care Act (ACA) And Called For Its Repeal
¶ 2022: Vance Called The ACA A “Disaster” And Advocated For Its Repeal And Replacement
2022: Vance Said The Affordable Care Act Was A “Disaster” And Called For Its Repeal And Replacement. According to the Chronicle-Telegram, “Asked a question related to healthcare, Vance said ‘Obamacare was a disaster’ but it must be repealed and replaced by something with ‘some substance to it, or we are going to get creamed electorally and we’re not actually going to do that job that the people sent us to do.” [Chronicle-Telegram, 2/2/22]
¶ 2010: Vance Called The Affordable Care Act “An Abject Failure Of A Reform Package”
2010: Vance Said The Affordable Care Act “Does Nothing To Reduce The Inflationary Trend Of Medical Costs, It Is An Abject Failure Of A Reform Package.” According to a letter to the editor by J.D. Hamel in the Butler County Journal-News, “Our system has its troubles, but the biggest of them is spending. Because Obama-Care does nothing to reduce the inflationary trend of medical costs, it is an abject failure of a reform package. That’s why most conservatives opposed it.” [Letter to the Editor by JD Hamel – Butler County Journal-News, 4/8/10]
- JD Hamel Was A Previous Name Of Vance. According to the New York Times, “After the divorce, Mr. Vance’s mother married Bob Hamel, who became J.D.’s legal father, and she changed her son’s name. James Donald Bowman became James David Hamel, swapping out her ex-husband’s first name for her uncle’s name, David, to preserve the ‘J.D.’ — which by then was Mr. Vance’s established nickname.” [New York Times, 7/15/24]
¶ 2018: Vance Praised Kavanaugh For His Dissent Against An Opinion That Upheld The Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate
2018: Vance Praised Kavanaugh For A Dissent Attacking The Affordable Care Act. According to an op-ed by JD Vance in the Wall Street Journal, “Judge Kavanaugh has come under fire in some quarters of the right for a handful of opinions—notably two involving challenges against ObamaCare—in which he aimed to rule narrowly and fairly rather than politically. In one, he dissented from an opinion that upheld the individual mandate. He observed that the individual mandate ‘is unprecedented in American history’ and cast doubt on its validity under either the Commerce or Taxing clause. In another, he rejected what the conservative scholar Ed Whelan calls ‘a very adventuresome Origination Clause challenge.’ Judge Kavanaugh’s record shows him to be a jurist who adheres to his principles and can influence his future colleagues on the bench. He is the most qualified candidate by all the criteria that matter.” [Op-Ed by JD Vance - Wall Street Journal, 7/2/18]
2011: Then-Judge Kavanaugh Wrote A Dissent Arguing Against The Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate. According to NBC News, “In a 2011 case, Seven-Sky v. Holder, the appeals court upheld the individual mandate to buy health insurance, a pillar of the Affordable Care Act. Kavanaugh wrote a dissent, saying the mandate was essentially a tax and thus outside the court’s jurisdiction. This argument later became central when the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA.” [NBC News, 7/10/18]
¶ Vance Opposed The Biden Administration’s Appointed Public Health Officials
¶ 2023: Vance Voted Against Confirming Bertagnolli As Director Of The NIH
2023: Vance Voted Against Confirming Monica M. Bertagnolli As Director Of The NIH. In November 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Monica M. Bertagnolli to be director of the National Institutes of Health.” The vote was on confirmation. The Senate confirmed Monica M. Bertagnolli by a vote of 62 to 36. [Senate Vote 293, 11/7/23; Congressional Quarterly, 11/7/23; Congressional Actions, PN649]
- Bertagnolli Was The First Surgeon And Second Woman To Be Confirmed As NIH Director. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., started today as the 17th director of the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s biomedical research agency and largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. She is the first surgeon and the second woman to hold the position.” [National Institutes of Health, 11/9/23]
- Bertagnolli Was A Cancer Surgeon For Over 35 Years, With A Focus On Gastrointestinal Cancer Research And Treatment And Experience Serving On Multiple Boards Of Directors. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Dr. Bertagnolli has been a cancer surgeon for more than 35 years. Before joining NCI, she specialized in treating and researching gastrointestinal cancers in her roles as the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a member of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment and Sarcoma Centers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, all in Boston. Dr. Bertagnolli’s research has advanced the current understanding of the gene mutation that promotes gastrointestinal cancer development and the role of inflammation as a driver of cancer growth. She also has worked to increase responsible access and sharing of cancer clinical trial data among researchers and has promoted the inclusion of rural communities in clinical studies. She is a past president and chair of the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and has served on the board of directors of the American Cancer Society and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2021.” [National Institutes of Health, 11/9/23]
2023: Vance Effectively Voted Against Confirming Monica M. Bertagnolli To Be Director Of The NIH. In November 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the nomination of Monica M. Bertagnolli to be director of the National Institutes of Health.” The vote was on cloture. The Senate agreed to the motion by a vote of 59 to 32. [Senate Vote 292, 11/6/23; Congressional Quarterly, 11/6/23; Congressional Actions, PN649]
¶ 2023: Vance Criticized Biden’s Choice To Lead The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention
2023: Vance Signed Onto The Letter Urging Biden To Withdraw His Appointee To Oversee The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. According to Fox News, “Twenty-two Republican House members and six GOP senators urged President Biden to withdraw his reported appointee to oversee the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). […] Joining Roy and Budd on the letter are several of their GOP colleagues, including Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, JD Vance of Ohio, and Mike Braun of Indiana as well as Reps. Dan Bishop of North Carolina and Ronny Jackson of Texas.” [Fox News, 6/13/23]
The Lawmakers’ Letter Said Cohen Was Unfit For The Position Because She “Spread Misinformation About The Efficacy And Necessity Of COVID Vaccinations.” According to Fox News, “‘Dr. Cohen is unfit for the position,’ the lawmakers wrote. ‘Throughout her career, Dr. Cohen has politicized science, disregarded civil liberties, and spread misinformation about the efficacy and necessity of COVID vaccinations and the necessity of masks, during her time as the Secretary of the North Carolina Health and Human Services.’” [Fox News, 6/13/23]
¶ Vance Criticized Health Equity Measures As Bad For White People
VANCE CLAIMED HEALTH EQUITY MEASURES AROUND COVID-19 WERE AKIN TO RACISM AGAINST WHITE PEOPLE
Vance Claimed The Food And Drug Administration Was Discriminating Against White People In Its Distribution Of Monoclonal Antibody Treatments For Patients With COVID-19. According to the Ohio Star, “Ohio U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance spoke with The Ohio Star Monday about anti-white discrimination in monoclonal antibody treatment for patients with COVID-19. ‘You should not, in this country, have your fortune determined by your skin color,’ he told The Star, noting the irony of having the discussion on Martin Luther King Jr. day. ‘It’s a fundamental principle of our Republic that we should not punish or reward people based on skin color, but we’re doing that right now.’ Vance says the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is leading the charge of prioritizing monoclonal antibody treatment for minorities, forcing white Americans to the back of the line. Though the way states prioritize patients is up to the individual state, there is evidence to suggest that the distribution policies are driven by the federal government agency.” [Ohio Star, 1/18/22]
¶ Vance Tweeted A Claim That The NY State Department Of Health Was Denying White People Access To Health Care With The Caption, “Is This The Systemic Racism I Keep Hearing About?”
Vance Tweeted A Claim That The NY State Department Of Health Was Denying White People Access To Health Care With The Caption, “Is This The Systemic Racism I Keep Hearing About?” JD Vance tweeted, “Is this the systemic racism I keep hearing so much about? The people involved in denying healthcare to people based on their skin color should go to prison for the rest of their lives.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 12/31/21]
¶ There Was No Evidence To Vance’s Claim
Vance’s Claim Was Ruled As False. According to PolitiFact, “There is no evidence that white New Yorkers who are sick with COVID-19 and have other risk factors are being denied treatment because patients of other races are receiving it. The Department of Health memo instructs health care providers to consider several factors when distributing Covid-19 treatments that are in short supply. Race and ethnicity are factors to consider because the risk of death for Black and Hispanic Covid-19 patients is twice as much as for their white peers.” [PolitiFact, 1/29/22]
¶ Vance Tweeted, “If You’re Denying People Medical Care Based On Skin Color, What Else? Why Stop With Monoclonal Antibodies? Why Not Shoot Them In The Head?”
Vance Tweeted, “If You’re Denying People Medical Care Based On Skin Color, What Else? Why Stop With Monoclonal Antibodies? Why Not Shoot Them In The Head?” JD Vance tweeted, “If you’re denying people medical care based on skin color, what else? Why stop with monoclonal antibodies? Why not shoot them in the head? The moral logic at work is truly disgusting.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 12/31/21]
¶ Vance Tweeted, “Medicare Will Pay Doctors Bonuses For Providing Better Care To People Because They Have The Right Skin Color”
Vance Tweeted, “Medicare Will Pay Doctors Bonuses For Providing Better Care To People Because They Have The Right Skin Color.” JD Vance tweeted, “Medicare will pay doctors bonuses for providing better care to people because they have the right skin color.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 12/14/21]
¶ Vance Opposed Medicare For All
¶ Vance Criticized Medicare For All As A “Big Handout” To Pharmaceutical Companies And Hospitals
2019: Vance Characterized Medicare-For-All Proposals As A “Big Handout” To Doctors, Pharmaceutical Companies And Hospitals. According to a transcript of Fox News, “VANCE: ‘Well, at a big level, the Democratic Party increasingly represents professional class elites.’ CARLSON: ‘Yes.’ VANCE: ‘And Republicans represent middle and working class wage earners in the middle of the country. Now, I will say, I think Democratic leaders kind of get this. If you look at the big proposals from the 2020 Democratic Presidential candidates -- universal child care, debt free college, even Medicare-for-All, which is framed as this lurch to the left, but is really just a big handout to doctors, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals.’” [Fox News, 7/4/19]
¶ Vance Opposed Using Taxpayer Money To Provide Health Care For DACA Recipients
¶ Vance Opposed Using Taxpayer Money To Provide Health Care For “Dreamers”
Vance Opposed Using Taxpayer Money To Provide Health Care For “Dreamers.” According to The Hill, “Vance opposes using taxpayer money to provide health care for ‘Dreamers,’ people brought to the country illegally as children but shielded from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He introduced a bill to explicitly exclude DACA recipients from ObamaCare and bar the use of any federal taxpayer dollars through Affordable Care Act waivers for providing health insurance coverage for immigrants living in the country illegally.” [The Hill, 7/16/24]
¶ 2024: Vance Criticized A Biden Administration Policy That Would Allow DACA Recipients To Enroll In Certain Affordable Care Act Exchange Plans
2024: Vance Criticized A Biden Administration Policy That Would Allow DACA Recipients To Enroll In Certain Affordable Care Act Exchange Plans. According to The Hill, “Vance blasted a Biden administration policy finalized in May that would allow DACA recipients to enroll in certain ObamaCare exchange plans, saying Biden was ‘giving your hard-earned money away to illegal immigrants in the form of taxpayer-funded health care.’” [The Hill, 7/16/24]
¶ 2023: Vance Introduced Legislation To Prevent The Use Of Taxpayer Funds For Health Care For DACA Recipients
2023: Vance Introduced Legislation To Prevent The Use Of Taxpayer Funds For Health Care For DACA Recipients. According to a press release from Senator Vance, “Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and Representative Josh Brecheen (R-OK) introduced legislation to prevent the use of taxpayer-funded healthcare and plan markets for illegal aliens. The No Obamacare For Illegal Aliens Act would amend the definition of ‘lawfully present’ in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to explicitly exclude DACA recipients and bar the use of any federal taxpayer dollars through ACA waivers for providing health insurance coverage for illegal aliens.” [Senator Vance Press Release, 7/19/23]
Vance: “The American Taxpayer Should Never Be Forced To Cover The Cost Of Healthcare For Illegal Immigrants.” According to a press release from Senator Vance, “‘The American taxpayer should never be forced to cover the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants,’ said Senator Vance. ‘It’s common sense: people who break our laws should not reap the benefits of public programs intended for lawful citizens.’” [Senator Vance Press Release, 7/19/23]
¶ Vance Opposed Gender-Affirming Health Care For Transgender People
¶ Vance Introduced A Bill That Would Make Providing Gender-Affirming Care To Minors A Felony
Vance Introduced A Bill That Would Make Providing Gender-Affirming Care To Minors A Felony With A 10 To 25-Year Prison Sentence. According to The Hill, “Vance last year introduced a bill that would make providing gender-affirming care to minors a felony with a 10 to 25-year prison sentence. The bill mirrors state bans on the procedures, but also would block taxpayer funding for it, including banning coverage of gender-affirming care from ObamaCare plans. It banned universities from providing instruction on ‘gender-affirming care,’ and deemed noncitizens who performed any gender-related procedures on a minor ineligible to receive visas or admittance to the United States.” [The Hill, 7/16/24]
¶ Vance Equated Gender-Affirming Care To Mental Health Problems
Vance Equated “Gender Affirming” Care To “Mental Health Problems.” According to a tweet from JD Vance, “This is extraordinary testimony about how we’re medicalizing mental health problems under the euphemism of ‘gender affirming’ care. I’ve introduced legislation that would stop this practice. As a society we need to come to our senses.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 11/28/23]