The US Presidential Election’s High Stakes for the Future of Medicine

Authors

Nicole Huberfeld, Boston University School of Public Health; Boston University School of LawFollow
Elizabeth McCuskey, Boston University School of LawFollow
Michael Ulrich, Boston University School of Public Health; Boston University School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2024

ISSN

0098-7484

Publisher

JAMA Network

Language

en-US

Abstract

The November 2024 US presidential election carries enormous stakes for the future of medicine and the health of the nation. The 2 parties’ platforms, and the policies driving their commitments, reflect vastly different perspectives on regulatory competence, deference to scientific expertise, and the value of medical care. The Democratic Party Platform includes dozens of pages of health reform proposals.¹ The Republican Party Platform includes a few sentences on health care–related issues.² However, the specifics may be found within a policy “playbook” published by Project 2025 outlining a “comprehensive, concrete transition plan for each federal agency,” with action items for the first 180 days of a Republican administration.³ Far from prioritizing “the health and well-being of all Americans at all stages of life,” as Project 2025 claims, the playbook presents an antiscience, antidata, and antimedicine agenda.

Recommended Citation

Nicole Huberfeld, Elizabeth McCuskey & Michael Ulrich, The US Presidential Election’s High Stakes for the Future of Medicine , JAMA (2024).
Available at: https://scholarship.law.bu.edu/faculty_scholarship/3969