民主党总统候选人副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯结束了数周的猜测选择明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·沃尔兹作为她的竞选搭档。
在担任美国众议院议员和北极星州州长期间，Walz推动了堕胎和其他生殖健康保健的普及。他还降低了药品价格，并提议公众购买保险。
以下是Walz在各种医疗保健问题上的立场:
生殖权利
瓦尔兹一直是堕胎权利的支持者，并在2008年堕胎后公开呼吁保护堕胎权美国最高法院推翻了罗诉韦德案2022年。
2023年1月，何签署了保护生育选择权法案该文件称，每个人都有“对生殖健康做出决定的基本权利”，包括堕胎护理、生育治疗、避孕、绝育和其他护理。
在PRO法案签署之前，明尼苏达州已经有了强有力的堕胎法。该州并不禁止堕胎基于某人怀孕多长时间以及1995年州最高法院案例认为州宪法保护选择堕胎的权利。
然而，Walz说，该法律是“阻止逆转生殖自由的防火墙”
2023年4月，他还签署了生殖自由保护法案该法案保护前往明尼苏达州寻求堕胎护理的患者以及堕胎服务提供者免受其他州的法律诉讼。
此外，当哈里斯成为第一位到访的副总统时由计划生育组织经营的堕胎诊所今年，Walz加入了她的行列。
州长也谈到了保护生育治疗和体外受精的权利。对沃尔兹来说，这是一个个人问题;他的妻子格温在迎来他们两个孩子的第一个孩子之前，经历了多年的试管婴儿程序。
“当我和妻子决定要孩子时，我们花了数年时间进行不孕治疗，”瓦尔兹周二说在他第一次和哈里斯一起露面时在费城的一次集会上。“我记得每天晚上祈祷有好消息，当电话铃响时我的胃在跳动，当我们听说治疗无效时的痛苦。”
获得健康保险
在他的就职演说2019年，瓦尔兹称医疗保健是“一项基本人权”。
“明尼苏达州人想从他们的医疗保健中得到什么很简单，”他说。“他们首先不想生病。但如果他们愿意的话，他们希望得到价格适中、离家近的医疗服务。”
在2007年至2019年担任美国众议院议员期间，瓦尔兹投票给患者保护与平价医疗法案2010年，具有里程碑意义的医疗保健法案被时任总统巴拉克·奥巴马签署成为法律。
Walz和明尼苏达州的民主党领导层试图扩大明尼苏达州的公共医疗保险计划，以允许所有居民——无论收入如何——选择购买。
明尼苏达州议会目前正在审议两项法案HF 4745和SF 4778-但是州长办公室告诉当地媒体这些法案今年不太可能通过。
州长一直致力于扩大医疗保健的覆盖面，在该州官方健康保险市场MNsure的开放注册期间，有创纪录的146，445名居民注册了2024年的私人健康计划州长办公室说.
限制药品价格
2020年，沃尔兹签署了亚历克·史密斯胰岛素平价法案，允许那些急需胰岛素的人在12个月内去一次药店，一次性获得30天的胰岛素供应，共付额为35美元。
该法律的长期部分允许符合条件的个人接受长达一年的胰岛素，并可选择续订，并接受90天的供应，共付额上限为50美元。
州长也宣布的今年早些时候，该州卫生部公布了300多种药品的清单，这些药品的价格将被要求由制造商、批发零售商和药店上报。
这些政策与拜登-哈里斯政府实施的政策相似。胰岛素的价格已经被限制在每月35美元对许多美国人和联邦政府来说已经开始直接价格谈判由Medicare部分支付的10种广泛使用的药物，并计划在未来将更多药物加入清单。
Where vice presidential pick Tim Walz stands on health care issues
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, ended weeks of speculation afterselecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzas her running mate on Tuesday.
During his time as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and governor of the North Star State, Walz has pushed for access to abortion and other reproductive health care. He's also lowered drug prices and has proposed a public buy-in option for insurance.
Here's where Walz stands on various health care issues:
Reproductive rights
Walz has been a supporter of abortion rights and was vocal about protecting access after theU.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wadein 2022.
In January 2023, hesigned the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act, which says everyone has a "fundamental right to make decisions about reproductive health" including abortion care, fertility treatments, contraception, sterilization and other care.
Prior to the PRO Act being signed, Minnesota already had strong abortion laws. The state does not prohibit abortion based on how far along someone is in their pregnancy and a1995 state Supreme Court caseheld that the state Constitution protects the right to choose to have an abortion.
Walz, however, said the law is a "firewall against efforts to reverse reproductive freedom."
In April 2023, he alsosigned the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, which protects patients who travel to Minnesota to seek abortion care -- as well as abortion providers -- from legal action in other states.
Additionally, when Harris became the first vice president to visitan abortion clinic run by Planned Parenthoodthis year, she was joined by Walz.
The governor has also spoken about protecting access to fertility treatments and IVF. The issue is a personal one for Walz; his wife, Gwen, underwent IVF procedures for years before welcoming the first of their two children.
"When my wife and I decided to have children, we spent years going through infertility treatments," Walz said Tuesdayduring his first joint appearance with Harrisat a rally in Philadelphia. "I remember praying every night for a call for good news, the pit in my stomach when the phone rang and the agony when we heard that the treatments hadn't worked."
Access to health insurance
During hisinaugural speechin 2019, Walz called health care "a basic human right."
"What Minnesotans want from their health care is simple," he said. "They don't want to get sick in the first place. But if they do, they want care at a price they can afford and at a location close to home."
During his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 2007 to 2019, Walzvoted for the Affordable Care Actin 2010, the landmark health care bill that was signed into law by then-President Barack Obama.
Walz and the Democratic leadership in Minnesota have attempted to expand MinnesotaCare, the state's public health insurance program, to allow all residents -- regardless of income -- the option to buy in.
There are two bills currently under consideration in the Minnesota Legislature –HF 4745andSF 4778-- but thegovernor's office told local mediathe bills would not likely pass this year.
The governor has worked to expand access to health care with a record 146,445 residents signing up for private health plans for 2024 during the open enrollment period for MNsure, the state's official health insurance marketplace, thegovernor's office said.
Capping drug prices
In 2020, Walzsigned the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, allowing those in urgent need of insulin to go to their pharmacy once in a 12-month period and receive a one-time, 30-day supply of insulin for a $35 co-pay.
The long-term component of the law allows eligible individuals to receive insulin for up to one year, with an option to renew, and receive a 90-day supply with a co-pay cap of $50.
The governor alsoannouncedearlier this year that the state's Department of Health was publishing a list of more than 300 drugs whose prices will be required to be reported by manufacturers, wholesale retailers and pharmacies.
These policies are similar to those implemented under the Biden-Harris administration. The cost of insulin has been capped at$35 per monthfor many Americans, and the federal governmenthas begun direct price negotiationson 10 widely used drugs paid for by Medicare Part D, with plans to add more drugs to the list in the future.
