Exploring Nikki Haley’s Potential Impact on US Health Care

– Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has significant history with healthcare policy during her tenure as South Carolina governor from 2011 to 2017. She was one of the Affordable Care Act’s most vocal critics and resisted expanding Medicaid in her state. Haley also addressed reforming Medicare and Social Security during her campaign and emphasized banning late-term abortions and increasing state flexibility in managing Medicaid.
– Haley’s healthcare policies as governor have drawn both praise and criticism. On the positive side, she was able to remedy a $228 million Medicaid deficit early in her tenure and implemented initiatives that boosted Medicaid enrollment, particularly for children. However, her refusal to expand Medicaid reportedly led to several hundred deaths, and South Carolina remains one of ten states not to have done so, leaving over 90,000 residents without health coverage.
– Haley’s stance on other health-related issues has also been highlighted. She is pro-life and signed a law banning abortions after 20 weeks of gestation in South Carolina. She sought to repeal the state’s “certificate of need” program, which required healthcare providers to get state permission before building new facilities or purchasing expensive equipment, and supported increased payments to rural hospitals serving large numbers of low-income and uninsured patients. However, she opposes COVID-19 vaccine mandates, although she herself has been vaccinated.

Republican Presidential Hopeful Nikki Haley’s Healthcare Stand Draws Attention

The former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, awaits voter response after the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses, to assess her presidential campaign’s resonance. Haley’s presidency could potentially influence national health care policy. Critics, like Sue Berkowitz, policy director at the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, express concerns over her healthcare decisions during her governorship from 2011 to 2017.

Although Haley garnered bipartisan support in 2015 for removal of the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds following a church shooting, her stance on health care issues diverged significantly from Democratic views. Haley’s campaign offers hints about her healthcare positions, especially through her recent debate statements.

Haley criticized the Biden administration for its high Covid relief spending and increased Medicaid enrollment – a program she believes should be more flexibly funded and administered by states. Furthermore, she spoke about reaching consensus on late-pregnancy abortion bans and her disapproval of gender-affirming care.

Haley’s gubernatorial tenure gives a clearer picture of how a Haley presidency might impact healthcare. Anthony Keck, former South Carolina Medicaid Director, highlights Haley’s achievement in addressing a $228 million Medicaid deficit and her focus on healthcare cost affordability and accessibility.

Haley’s Healthcare Record As South Carolina Governor

During her tenure, Haley opposed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and advocated opting out of the federal health insurance marketplace created under the ACA. Despite calls for a federal investigation into her handling of the advisory committee deliberating on this issue, Haley was cleared of any wrongdoing.

With the ACA upholding the constitutionality of Medicaid expansion in 2012, Haley declined to expand it in South Carolina, a decision estimated by Christian Soura, one of her former cabinet members, to have resulted in several hundred deaths. Despite public support for expansion, especially in non-expansion states, Haley’s stance remains unchanged. South Carolina, not having expanded Medicaid under ACA, has left over 90,000 residents uncovered by health insurance, according to a 2023 KFF report.

On abortion, Haley called the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling a “victory for life and democracy”. She signed a South Carolina law in 2016 banning abortion procedures after 20 weeks of gestation, with exceptions only for fetal anomalies or threats to a mother’s life.

During her gubernatorial term, Haley vetoed over $1 million allocated for the “certificate of need” program – a measure requiring hospitals and healthcare providers to seek state permission before constructing new facilities or purchasing expensive equipment. This decision was aimed at controlling healthcare costs and avoiding duplication of services.

Rural hospitals received significant support under Haley’s administration, with her reimbursing all their uncompensated care costs. Despite this, two rural hospitals closed during her tenure. On vaccine mandates, notably the HPV vaccine, Haley initially supported it but later retracted her support.

—
Read More Health & Wellness News ; US News