Why Your Vote for Healthcare Matters—Even When You Think You Do Not Need It

Every day, I see patients denied the care they need—not just ADHD medications or treatments for weight loss, but life-saving interventions like chemotherapy. It is heartbreaking because it impacts everyone: transgender youth unable to access affirming healthcare in many states (something that hits close to home for me), individuals restricted from critical life-saving medications, and people stripped of personal choices about their reproductive health. More and more, laws and insurance policies—not doctors and patients—are deciding who gets the care they need and who does not.

Many people do not realize how much the prior Trump administration affected healthcare policies. The effects of that era are still being felt—and, in many cases, have only begun to take full effect. Here is how specific policies from that administration have had a lasting and sometimes devastating impact on people’s access to medical care:

• Expansion of Short-Term Health Plans

The Trump administration promoted short-term health plans as affordable alternatives to traditional insurance. However, these plans often exclude essential services like prescription coverage, mental health care, maternity care, and preventative screenings. For someone in a health crisis, this can mean discovering too late that the treatment they need—whether chemotherapy, mental health support, or life-saving medications—is not covered.

• Restrictions on Contraceptive Coverage

Trump-era policies allowed employers to opt out of covering contraceptives based on religious or moral beliefs. This left many without affordable access to birth control, increasing out-of-pocket costs for family planning and essential reproductive healthcare. Access to affordable contraception is necessary for personal autonomy and reproductive health—yet many have lost this choice.

• State Abortion Restrictions

Following conservative Supreme Court appointments, Roe v. Wade was overturned, enabling states to impose restrictive abortion laws. Today, states like Georgia and Florida enforce bans as early as six weeks—often before many people know they’re pregnant. This leaves countless individuals facing forced pregnancy with no options, even in cases of medical emergencies, non-viable pregnancies, or trauma. When laws restrict healthcare decisions, people are forced into situations that endanger their health and violate their rights.

This election cycle, several states, including Florida, will vote on measures to either restrict or defend reproductive rights, potentially reshaping healthcare access and determining whether future personal healthcare decisions are made by patients and doctors or are controlled by politicians. Our votes will decide whether people with complex medical needs will have the choices they deserve or be denied care when they need it most.

• Weakening of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The Trump administration weakened ACA protections by removing the individual mandate penalty and giving insurers more flexibility. As a result, fewer cancer screenings, early interventions, and preventative measures are available—especially for at-risk populations who rely on the ACA for essential coverage. These rollbacks have left countless people unable to afford or access the healthcare they once could.

Policies like these show how decisions at the highest levels trickle down and shape how healthcare works for everyone. If we continue deprioritizing healthcare, your plans may eventually exclude essential cancer screenings or other preventative care services. Increasingly, healthcare decisions are being made not by doctors but by politicians and hospital CEOs, shifting our medical system away from compassion and expertise and undermining patient needs.

• As We Approach This Election

We must fully grasp the healthcare policies for which we are voting. Many people want a leader who is tough on critical issues such as economic security or defense. But healthcare requires more than just strength; it demands understanding. A strong leader recognizes that healthcare is the foundation of a functioning society. Without access to physical and mental wellness—our basic needs in Maslow’s hierarchy—we cannot function at our best or focus on other aspects of life. In times of crisis, health becomes our most urgent need, making comprehensive coverage invaluable.

When you feel well, assuming healthcare isn’t a priority is easy. But I can tell you that no one who invests in comprehensive health insurance ever thinks they will need it—until they do. Whether it is a sudden diagnosis, a loved one’s emergency, or an accident that changes everything, the right coverage becomes a lifeline.

This election, we have a choice. When we vote, we decide who will protect essential healthcare rights—and who will allow restrictions to keep growing. Look closely at candidates’ policies. Some plans still limit coverage for mental health, prescriptions, maternity care, and more based on policies from past administrations. This Tuesday, let us vote for leaders who prioritize healthcare, value personal choice, and understand that health and freedom go hand in hand.

By casting an informed vote for accessible healthcare, we protect our health and the future of everyone who may need support when life takes an unexpected turn. When we vote to keep healthcare decisions in the hands of doctors and patients, we choose a system built on compassion, dignity, and respect.

You may not need comprehensive care today, but someday you—or someone you love—might. Let us vote like healthcare matters—because it genuinely does.