LA CROSSE — Ahead of Donald Trump’s town hall in La Crosse today, three area physicians shared some questions they would like for the former president to answer. At his recent events, Trump has largely failed to discuss issues related to health care. On August 23, however, Trump posted on Truth Social, “My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.”
“My question for former president Trump is how he could brag about killing Roe v. Wade and then turn around and say his administration would be great for women,” said Dr. Bob Freedland, an ophthalmologist in La Crosse. “That Supreme Court decision, which happened due to Trump hand-selecting three of the Supreme Court justices, allowed Wisconsin’s abortion ban to go back into effect, putting women’s health, future fertility, and very lives on the line. You don’t have to be a doctor to see that Trump’s actions haven’t just been not great for women, but disastrous.”
Trump claimed this spring that he would make the Affordable Care Act “much better.” As recently as last November, though, Trump was still campaigning on repealing the law. As president, Trump eliminated federal payments that reduced ACA deductibles for low-income Americans, prompting insurers to raise premiums.
“Mr. Trump, can you share with Wisconsinites exactly how you’ll make the Affordable Care Act ‘much better’?” said Dr. Mark Neumann, a retired pediatric critical care provider in La Crosse. “During my career as a pediatric doctor I saw how the medical expenses of major illness and injury can crush a family’s savings. I’ve seen how the ACA has helped families better afford care and manage their health. That’s why the many attempts by your administration and allies to ‘repeal and replace’ the ACA concerned me, and why I’d like to hear your actual plan for the law now.”
Project 2025, a blueprint for a second Trump presidency written by 140 of Trump’s former aides, calls for the rollback of the Inflation Reduction Act, which caps insulin costs at $35 per month and out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2000 per year for Medicare recipients. It also gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors.
“Like probably all my fellow physicians, I’ve seen countless patients and their families struggle to afford the insulin or other prescription medications they need to live and thrive,” said Dr. Suzanne Toce, a retired neonatal perinatal physician in La Crosse. “As the Inflation Reduction Act is working to help seniors better afford these critical health care tools, I’d like to hear from Mr. Trump about whether he actually intends to overturn the law and let seniors start paying more again for the drugs they need to live. Our next president should be working to extend the benefits of the IRA to Americans of all ages, not repealing them.”
About the Committee to Protect Health Care
The Committee to Protect Health Care is a national mobilization of doctors, health care professionals, and advocates who are building a pro-patient health care majority in Congress and in states so that we can live in an America where everyone has the health care they need to thrive. To learn more: www.committeetoprotect.org
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