For more information on Joe Biden’s plans for dealing with COVID-19, check out https://joebiden.com/covid-plan/

On September 16, with 188,802 Americans dead of COVID-19, Joe Biden tweeted “We’re going to get this virus under control and get your life back on track.”  He plans to do this by:

• Ensuring that public health decisions are made by public health professionals, not by politicians.
• Guaranteeing every single person in this country, whether insured or uninsured, will not pay for visits related to COVID-19 testing, treatment, preventative services, or any eventual vaccine. No co-payments, no deductibles and no surprise medical billing.
• Surging a nationwide campaign to provide access to testing for all.
• Implementing a national effort to acquire, produce and sell personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure sufficient amounts are available for all who need it.
• Commencing an effort to build an American manufacturing capability to provide PPE in the future, so we are not dependent on foreign suppliers.
• Creating an emergency program to ensure all workers can take paid leave during this crisis, and reimbursing employers for the costs of such leave.
• Establishing a U.S. Public Health Reserve Corps to expand medical and public health capacity.
• Ramping up the development of rapid diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines.
• Pushing large-scale US manufacturing of as many vaccine candidates as necessary.
• Building a nationwide vaccine campaign to ensure fair distribution of vaccines.
• Leading a coordinated global approach to develop, manufacture and distribute vaccines.
• Re-opening America with emergency funding for public schools and child care providers, a “restart package” for small businesses to cover the cost of opening, and an expansion of short-time compensation programs for workers.

For more information on Joe Biden’s plans for dealing with health care, check out https://joebiden.com/healthcare/

Joe Biden believes good health care is a right of all Americans.  He will protect the Affordable Care Act and build on it by:

• Adding a public health insurance option which will negotiate prices with providers in the same way as Medicare.
• Lowering the limit of health insurance coverage costs for all American families to no more than 8.5% of their income.
• Barring health care providers from charging out-of-network rates when the patient doesn’t control the choice of provider.
• Repealing the existing law which bars Medicare from negotiating lower prices with drug corporations and limiting the prices drug companies can charge for new drugs which face no competition. Tax penalties will be levied on drug companies which raise their prices more than the inflation rate.
• Allowing consumers to import safe prescription drugs from other countries.

Joe Biden will champion improved health care access by:

• Working to pass a law protecting a woman’s right to choose.
• Restoring federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
• Reducing our high maternal mortality rate by implementing a California strategy which cut the state’s maternal death rate in half.
• Defending health care protection for all, regardless of gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
• Doubling America’s investment in community health centers.
• Expanding access to mental health care.

Joe Biden will pay for this investment in the health of America by getting rid of capital gains tax loopholes for the super wealthy, assuring that those making over $1 million will pay the top rate on capital gains.  He will also restore the 39.6% top tax rate paid by the very wealthy before the Trump tax cut.