Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn and his Democratic challenger, Sarah Trone Garriott, are drawing clear contrasts on their approaches to health care — even as both commit to strengthen cancer treatment and prevention resources in Congress.
Nunn and Trone Garriott, who will face off in the November midterm elections, outlined dueling philosophies on the federal government’s role America’s health system during a series of roundtables in July focused on Iowa’s high cancer rates.
It’s a key issue in the race for south-central Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District.
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society, organized a series of candidate conversations where both signed the group’s “Cancer Promise” — saying they will support cancer research funding and also ensure access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage and cancer prevention services, such as tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
Trone Garriott favors public option for health care coverage
Trone Garriott, who is campaigning heavily on health care access and affordability in the wake of Republicans’ tax and spending law dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” advocated for a public health insurance option that would allow people to continue to seek private insurance but also turn to an affordable government-backed alternative.
“Making sure that every one of our neighbors has health care coverage so that every U.S. citizen can get the health care they need, I think that should be a top priority because we have a lot of neighbors who they’re struggling to get care,” Trone Garriott said. “They can’t afford to see a doctor. They don’t have coverage. And then even the folks who do have coverage, it’s too expensive for them to truly take advantage of that coverage and get the care that they need.”
She also wants to restore the steep cuts to Medicaid included in the year-old law. Those cuts are estimated to total nearly $1 trillion over a decade and leave 10 million uninsured. Already in Iowa, several clinics have reduced service lines because of Medicaid cuts and provider recruitment and retention struggles. MercyOne’s Ottumwa clinic closed in February.
Iowa’s all-Republican congressional delegation, including Nunn, voted for the measure.
Republicans contend the Medicaid changes will preserve benefits for those who truly need assistance and eliminate waste and fraud. Democrats have said the measure will close hospitals, threaten the health system and reduce health care access.
Rescinding the cuts would help ensure Iowans have coverage that allows them access to care, Trone Garriott said, which would help with cancer prevention and early detection.
“Cancer has touched every life in Iowa,” she said. “And it’s something incredibly important to me personally to work on because this is one of the biggest problems facing our state. And health care access in Iowa is struggling, and these Medicaid cuts have made things so much worse.”
Original story written by Marissa Payne and published in the Des Moines Register.
Photo credit: Marissa Payne/The Register