The Democratic governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, was selected on Tuesday to be Vice President Harris' running mate. He provides a progressive perspective on health care that emphasises cost-cutting.
Walz has acknowledged that his personal experience has influenced his goals for health policy. At the age of 19, Walz's father passed away from cancer, leaving his mother crippled by medical debt.
In June, Walz signed a statute prohibiting medical professionals from refusing medically required care because of overdue debt.
Walz established a prescription drug affordability board with the authority to impose caps on insurer reimbursement, thanks to a Democratic-controlled state legislature. He approved a law to assist individuals in paying for insulin during emergencies, and this year the state and Eli Lilly came to an agreement wherein the price of insulin will be capped at $35 for the following five years.
Additionally, when he was governor, Minnesota launched a prescription price transparency program.
Walz stated that he wished to uphold access to health care in the state as a fundamental human right.
The healthcare needs of Minnesotans are straightforward. In the first place, they wish to avoid becoming ill. If they do, though, Walz noted, they want treatment in a nearby facility at a cost they can afford.
"As Minnesotans, we can learn how to provide healthcare in a more efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality manner. It is within our power and responsibility to guarantee that every Minnesotan has access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.
Tim Walz nods at Harris and says, "Five things to be aware of."
Walz has also supported the Minnesota Health Care Access Fund, which contributes to the cost of health insurance for those living in low-income states.
The former high school teacher has shown that he is capable of approaching health care policy with pragmatism, especially when it comes to providing incentives for medical companies to stay in his state.
Following threats to withhold billions of dollars in new investment from the state's largest employer, the Mayo Clinic, Walz supported a plan to scale down hospital price transparency. Additionally, the threat forced Walz and the Democratic Legislature to renounce a bill that would have required clinics and hospitals to develop "core staffing plans" that would have set a cap on the number of patients that a single nurse could care for.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Walz wanted to ensure that Minnesota remained a safe place for access to abortion.
He put his signature on a bill that made abortion rights a state law. Minnesota allows abortions up to the point of fetal viability, which is typically between 23 and 25 weeks. Harris, the first vice president of the United States to visit an abortion facility, went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota in March.
In order to insulate medical professionals and patients from punishment for abortion-related offences in other states, Walz also signed an abortion "shield law" and removed the obligatory 24-hour waiting period and parental consent requirement.
Last year, Walz enacted legislation that made marijuana use for adult purposes legal in his state. The bill not only legalized cannabis in Minnesota, but also made it possible for certain minor marijuana offenses to be removed from criminal histories.
Walz demonstrated his willingness to work across party lines while serving in Congress.
Walz never backed any of the GOP candidates to replace the Affordable Care Act, but voted in favor of it in 2010. He was targeted by Republicans after the 2010 vote, among other things, but he was able to win reelection.
However, he disagreed with then-President Obama when he voted in favour of a bill in 2015 that repealed the law's excise tax on medical devices. Obama had promised to veto earlier versions of the bill.
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