The U.S. Health Care: A Silhouette in the 2024 Presidential Campaign

Election cycles, especially presidential ones, are rarely held in the United States in a discreet manner and without a unique character that reflects the general political situation in the country and the world as a whole. At the turn of the 20th-21st centuries, they have always been special, always featuring extraordinary elements of spectacle and a certain drama. Scientific integrity requires noting that the 2022 midterm elections were also called “extremely unusual” in the media, which corresponds to reality, the nature and outline of which, in its many forms, change over time: “here and now” is necessarily different from “there” and “yesterday". The electorate is changing, problems and tasks are evolving, and the colors of life, at the very least, are acquiring different shades and accents, altering general characteristics. The political system's relatively constant concern is maintaining the viability and stability of the state structure and social order. Health care topics seem not only urgently relevant, but also attractive from the perspective of electoral spectacle. The combination of health concerns and key interest groups can emerge in critical states and significantly impact the course of the election.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance plans, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Roe v. Wade