Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016/Healthcare
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This page was current as of the 2016 election.
The overview of the issue below was current as of the 2016 election.
A Gallup poll conducted in late August 2016 found that 44 percent of Americans supported Obamacare, and 51 percent disapproved of it. The number of uninsured Americans dropped after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, became law on March 23, 2010. In 2016, 11 percent of Americans remained uninsured compared to 16 percent in 2010. Despite this success, health insurers were concerned about Obamacare's financial sustainability and fewer participants were reporting that the law had helped their family. After six years, more than half of Americans said Obamacare had no effect on them or their family.[2]
On October 24, 2016, a government report was released that found that premiums were expected to rise 22 percent in 2017 under Obamacare. Federal subsidies would offset some of the cost.[3] As a result, healthcare became a frequently discussed issue in the final two weeks of the election.
See below what Gary Johnson and the 2016 Libertarian Party Platform said about healthcare.
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Johnson on healthcare
- In a statement to Reason.com, Johnson sought to clarify his stance on mandatory vaccinations. He said, “Today, there are no federal laws mandating vaccinations, and that is as it should be. No adult should be required by the government to inject anything into his or her body. … Government has a responsibility to help keep our children and our communities safe. At the same time, government has a responsibility to preserve individual freedom. Vaccination policies must respect both of those responsibilities. I personally believe in vaccinations, and my children were vaccinated. But it is not for me to impose that belief on others.”[4]
- In 2011, Johnson tweeted that he was against mandatory vaccinations. But in an interview with Vermont Public Radio on August 24, 2016, Johnson said he had changed his position on the issue. "You know, since I’ve said that ... I’ve come to find out that without mandatory vaccines, the vaccines that would in fact be issued would not be effective. So, it’s dependent that you have mandatory vaccines so that every child is immune. Otherwise, not all children will be immune even though they receive a vaccine. In my opinion, this is a local issue. If it ends up to be a federal issue, I would come down on the side of science and I would probably require that vaccine," said Johnson.[5]
- In October 2012, Gary Johnson called the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, "a torpedo in a sinking ship." He said, "I think the economy’s going to collapse" as a result of the healthcare law.[6]
- In July 2012, Johnson said he was "opposed to government-mandated health insurance, period," in an interview with The Daily Caller.[7]
- After the Affordable Care Act was upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court in June 2012, Johnson released a statement to criticize the decision. "Whether the Court chooses to call the individual mandate a tax or anything else, allowing it to stand is a truly disturbing decision. The idea that government can require an individual to buy something simply because that individual exists and breathes in America is an incredible blow to the bedrock principles of freedom and liberty. It must be repealed, and Congress needs to get about doing so today," Johnson wrote. He added, "Government cannot create a system that will reduce costs while increasing access. Only competition and the price transparency that competition will bring can accomplish the imperatives of affordability and availability."[8]
- Read what other presidential candidates said about healthcare.
| The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform on healthcare | ||||||
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Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Reason.com, "Gary Johnson To Announce He's Running for President Today," January 6, 2016
- ↑ Gallup, "More Americans Negative Than Positive About ACA," September 8, 2016
- ↑ NPR, "Rates Up 22 Percent For Obamacare Plans, But Subsidies Rise, Too," October 24, 2016
- ↑ Reason, "Libertarian Gary Johnson Comes Out Against Carbon Taxes, Mandatory Vaccines," August 26, 2016
- ↑ VPR, "In Reversal, Gov. Gary Johnson Now Supports Mandatory Vaccination," August 24, 2016
- ↑ Politic365, "Libertarian Nominee Gary Johnson on Obamcare: 'A Torpedo in a Sinking Ship,'" October 17, 2012
- ↑ Daily Caller, "Johnson reminds voters: Romney authored ‘the blueprint’ for Obamacare," July 23, 2012
- ↑ Reason, "Gary Johnson on ObamaCare Ruling," June 28, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Libertarian Party, "The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform," accessed August 23, 2016
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