Strategic health care expert Meaghan Smith told Hill.TV on Monday that Democrats are united in their mission to protect ObamaCare, but added that there are different views on expanding the health care law.
“The Democratic Party is really united on protecting ObamaCare,” Smith, senior vice president at SKDKnickerbocker, told hosts Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on “Rising.”
Smith, who was involved in the rollout of the Affordable Care Act’s second open enrollment, pointed out that Democrats retook the House in 2018 in part by attacking Republican efforts to repeal ObamaCare.
Democratic presidential contenders in 2020 are expected to also make defending health care a key part of their campaigns.
“[In] 2018, Democrats ran on protecting ObamaCare, they ran on health care, and they won on health care,” she continued. “Every exit poll showed that that was the No. 1 issue for voters.”
Smith’s comments come as the Trump administration throws its support behind a lawsuit that aims to declare former President Obama’s signature health care law unconstitutional.
“We’re really united on the need to protect ObamaCare, and figure out the best ways to expand health care to more people, and lower out of pocket costs, which is a big issue for Americans,” Smith said.
“I think the American people have signaled that they’re really ready to have that conversation about the best way to do that, whether that’s a Medicare public option, whether that’s a Medicaid public option, whether that’s Medicare for All,” she said. “That’s going to be a big part of the conversation.”
— Julia Manchester
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