Democrats ran on health care in 2020. In this year’s draft platform, it gets a handful of bullet points.

The 2024 Democratic Party platform contains little emphasis on healthcare compared to previous years, despite it remaining a top concern for voters. The draft platform obtained by Politico in July does not mention a “public option” or “universal healthcare,” reverting from the party’s 2020 platform that had outlined reforms like a public insurance option. While the Biden administration has touted record-low uninsured rates and taken some steps to lower healthcare costs, such as capping insulin copays, overall healthcare affordability remains a major challenge. Premiums for employer-provided family plans continue to rise faster than wages and inflation, and over 40% of adults report having medical debt. The 2024 platform’s light treatment of healthcare is a disappointing shift from the more ambitious proposals of the past. Progressives who had pushed for policies like Medicare for All will need to mount a renewed effort to keep healthcare as a central priority for the Democratic Party. The party’s own rhetoric in 2020 about healthcare being a “right, not a privilege” must be upheld, and voters should demand that candidates put forth concrete plans to achieve truly universal, affordable healthcare coverage.

  • JIMMERZ@lemm.eeEnglish
    387·
    4 months ago

    Universal Healthcare was a losing platform because it was vilified as being “communism”. It also didn’t sit well with wealthy donors and rich democrats. It also wasn’t part of Biden’s agenda. Obamacare was.

  • Fugtig Fisk@feddit.dk
    16·
    4 months ago

    It seems like there is no need to mention it because the opposition is doing a good job at highlighting it as a democratic point.

  • madcaesar@lemmy.world
    182·
    4 months ago

    Every time Democrats bring big ideas, gun control, healthcare, the rabbid Republicans come out in the midterms and vote the Democrats out.

    Meanwhile the youth never gets energized enough because they think winning one election is all it should take and if you don’t have universal healthcare by March you’re a sellout and they’ll stop voting.

    Real change means voting in EVERY election, starting locally and going up, for decades.

    That’s what the Republicans have done and they’ve captchured a bunch of governments and institutions.

    • Verdant Banana@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      72·
      4 months ago

      heard this my entire life as did my father who was told by his dad

      no progress is not won over night, but it has been several lifetimes worth of over nights and the time to shit or get off the pot is now

  • BobGnarley@lemm.ee
    216·
    4 months ago

    Because they were never going to do that shit in the first place. All propaganda and pandering points.

  • LEDZeppelin@lemmy.world
    2311·
    4 months ago

    Saving the democracy is at the front and center. January 6th treason, countless lawsuits for election denial/tampering, Trump found selling national secrets from his bathroom, found guilty for raping, convicted on 34 counts of felony, project 2025 promising end of democracy, and yet Trump getting nominated by GOP - all of this happens in last 3.5 years. Republicans have openly embraced dictatorship since last presidential election.

    • snooggums@midwest.socialEnglish
      223·
      4 months ago

      Actually following up on major efforts like universal healthcare would go a long way to ensuring the Democrats continue to win at the ballot box., since their odds of winning are based entirely on turnout and people are sick of campaign promises being ignored.

    • knightly the Sneptaur@pawb.social
      1215·
      4 months ago

      Boring~

      I’m already not voting for the Republicans, but I’d love to have an actual reason to get excited about voting for Democrats.

      • LEDZeppelin@lemmy.world
        125·
        4 months ago

        Learn how a bill becomes law and you will realize why and how important it is to get as many Dems elected as possible.

        Last time Dems had trifecta (2021-22) they had 50-50 senate - with 2 asshole republicans disguised as Dems (Sinema and Manchin) who blocked every progressive bills such as election integrity laws, immigration, reproductive rights. Of course that doesn’t absolve actual repubes. In fact not even 10 out of 50 republican senators had balls to stand up for what’s right.

        • knightly the Sneptaur@pawb.social
          101·
          4 months ago

          If the Democrats want to get as many votes as possible they should give people more reasons to do so. Now is the best time to introduce a universal healthcare plan, even if it can’t pass it provides a PR field day when Republicans reject it.

          • LEDZeppelin@lemmy.world
            3·
            4 months ago

            It’s not so much about how they voted. It’s more about how they refused to vote on key bills. Because of their position so many bills couldn’t even come to floor. I distinctly remember while heated debate was underway about student loan forgiveness, immigration, and inflation reduction - those two were running around in Texas with republicans to “find a common bipartisan ground”. Mind you the same republican they were hanging out with had publicly stated that they had no interest in solving problems whatsoever.

      • RestrictedAccount@lemmy.world
        1·
        4 months ago

        You mean “Madam President” Hillary?

        That is what was being discussed. Why isn’t Kamala bearing down on healthcare as a campaign issue.

  • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
    5·
    4 months ago

    As someone who has spent decades on both Europe and the US, I can firmly say that the US healthcare system is my least favorite thing about the US.

  • paf0@lemmy.world
    2152·
    4 months ago

    Prepare to get downvoted by the DemBots. They are trying to hide this. They no longer have it as part of the platform because they are cowards.