A Senate race in Kansas between two doctors sets the stage for an election hyper-focused on health policy — and on Covid-19
A Democratic doctor campaigning for Senate in Kansas is betting she can leverage her health care record into a stunning November upset — the latest sign that policies like drug prices, “surprise” medical bills, and health insurance costs remain top of mind for American voters.
The surprisingly close race, in an otherwise deep-red state, is hyper-focused on health care: The Democratic nominee, Barbara Bollier, is a former anesthesiologist and bioethicist, and has campaigned aggressively on policies to expand the state’s Medicaid program, allow Medicare to directly negotiate drug prices, and outlaw “surprise” medical bills. The Republican, Rep. Roger Marshall, is a practicing OB-GYN who figured prominently into his party’s 2017 attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and continues to campaign on a “repeal and replace” health care platform.
