The former governor of Maryland has trailed in the polls and is projected to be nearing the end of his cash. According to The Hill, Mr. O’Malley unveiled his plan as part of an effort to revive his campaign.
“We should be proud that America leads the world in developing life-saving cures, but the world’s drug innovation should not be subsidized on the backs of the sickest patients in the United States,” Mr. O’Malley wrote in his plan, released publicly Tuesday morning, according to The Hill.
Mr. O’Malley vowed to protect poorer Americans by cracking down on “price gouging,” rising deductibles and healthcare mergers. He would expand healthcare coverage from 88 percent of people today to 95 percent in 2020, partially by offering an expedited pathway to Medicaid for new immigrants.
Similar to his Democratic contenders Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mr. O’Malley said he would use the government’s purchasing power to negotiate the costs of drugs and repeal the “Cadillac” tax on higher cost employer-sponsored health plans. His plan also includes a range of promises, such as garnering more funding for the National Institutes of Health, expanding access to clinical trial data and integrating behavioral healthcare into the traditional system.
Mr. O’Malley’s 10-page healthcare plan is the longest among the Democratic frontrunners to date, though Ms. Clinton’s, Sen. Sanders’ and Mr. O’Malley’s plans each aim to build off progress of the Affordable Care Act, according to The Hill.
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