US. Midterm Elections: What’s The Verdict For Aging Policies?
Yesterday, one of the most significant midterm elections in recent history occurred, with significant implications for the outlook on public policies and legislation affecting aging and older Americans.
Health and aging issues drove the midterms more than other issues, including preserving the Affordable Care Act (with special emphasis on threats to pre-existing condition protections), considering Medicare for All proposals and lowering prescription drug costs. The election results make prospects stronger for new policies to lower prescription drug costs, something President Trump has said he generally favors.
The election results also showed there may be signs of change in the way older voters vote. Republicans have captured their vote in every election since 2008, but according to CNN exit polls, 48% of voters 65 and older and 49% of those 45 to 64 identified themselves as Democrats; 50% of both groups called themselves Republicans. By contrast, in the 2014 midterms, 41% of House of Representative voters 65+ and 45% of those 45 to 64 were Democrats.
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