As the election date approaches in the USA, the outcome is expected to affect patient and community health, as well as the health care delivery system, in profound ways, a latest article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says. 

The journal identifies key health-related issues likely to influence voters, including prescription drug costs, women’s health and reproductive rights, public health policies related to COVID-19, and the ongoing opioid overdose epidemic, along with its implications for border policies. 

Other important health issues in the country include firearm safety and the nation’s mental health crisis, the article says.

The elections are taking place on November 5, 2024.

The national election, the article adds, may cause individuals to overlook local politics that affect firearm safety, food and housing assistance, and other health-related policies. 

The authors contend that evidence clearly documents that restrictive state-level laws interfere with clinicians’ ability to provide the full spectrum of reproductive health care to patients and disproportionately worsen existing disparities in care and outcomes.  They also describe how the deprivation of abortion care, an essential part of reproductive care, is a gross violation of medical ethics, explaining how federal and state laws pose risks to patients, affecting current health and future fertility.

“The 2024 US elections have the potential to affect many other aspects of health care,” the JAMA says. “Various laws and policies that promote health or address interference between clinicians and patients are contemporary issues in this election.”  

Also read: FACT CHECK: Is there any truth to Elon Musk's claims on birth control? - First Check