Kamala Harris Touts Medicare Expansion Plan in First Live Interview

Vice President Kamala Harris made her first live interview and talk show appearance on The View, following her acceptance of the Democratic presidential nomination. Harris outlined key policy plans aimed at easing the financial burdens of middle-class families, emphasizing her commitment to expanding Medicare and lowering child care costs.

Harris said she wants to spotlight the “sandwich generation.”

This demographic, nearly a quarter of the U.S. population, is made up of adults juggling the demands of raising children while also caring for aging parents. According to her campaign data, this group includes a significant portion of undecided voters.

Harris said many individuals find it nearly impossible to manage everything, leading some to leave their jobs, which results in lost income and added emotional stress.

“We’re talking about these kinds of things that involve helping an aging parent—preparing a meal, putting on their sweater—and it’s about dignity and independence for that individual,” Harris said. “While people may experience declining skills to some extent, their dignity and pride have not diminished. They want to stay in their homes; they don’t want to go elsewhere. For families, sending a loved one to a residential care facility or hiring someone can be prohibitively expensive.”

The vice president wants to expand Medicare to cover at-home care services for seniors, a move aimed at alleviating financial burdens. Currently, most Medicare beneficiaries must pay out-of-pocket for home aides, a cost that, for some, can be nearly double their income.

“Here’s how we pay for part of what I intend to do: allow Medicare to continue negotiating drug prices with the big pharmaceutical companies,” Harris said. “This means we will save Medicare money because we won’t be paying these high prices. Those resources are better allocated to help families like the one you described, similar to what we’ve already done with insulin.”

Harris expressed a strong commitment to capping insulin costs at $35 per month for seniors and supported allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices to reduce prescription medication costs for seniors.

By lowering child care expenses and expanding Medicare, Harris aims to ease the pressure on families facing dual caregiving roles—a personal mission rooted in her own experience caring for her mother during her battle with cancer.

The 2024 Presidential Election is only 28 days away, featuring a high-stakes matchup between Harris and former president Donald Trump. During her interview on The View, The vice president stated Trump tends to evade problems rather than address them, highlighting his lack of a solution-oriented approach.

“What he does not talk about is you,” Harris said. “He does not discuss what you need or what your parents need—what your children need. That’s not what he talks about. He talks about his needs.”

Over the summer, Trump reiterated his commitment to improving at-home care for seniors as part of his platform to Make America Great Again. He plans to prioritize home care benefits by reallocating resources back to senior care, addressing care worker shortages and supporting unpaid family caregivers through tax credits and reduced bureaucratic hurdles.

Building on his administration’s achievements, Trump highlighted the new Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits established during his first term. These benefits enhanced safety for seniors at home, provided respite care for caregivers, covered transportation, offered additional in-home support services, and presented alternatives to opioid pain management.

Trump also criticized the Harris-Biden administration for negatively impacting seniors. Under Vice President Kamala Harris, seniors experienced the largest increase in Medicare Part B premiums in history. Many seniors delay retirement due to rampant inflation, struggling to afford basic necessities and groceries, according to a 2022 report from the United States Census Bureau. Nearly half of older Americans report depleting their emergency savings to make ends meet.

By prioritizing at-home care, safeguarding Social Security and Medicare, and eliminating taxes on seniors’ Social Security, Trump aims to ensure seniors can enjoy their golden years with dignity.

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