Bill Overview
Title: Candace Owens Act
Description: This bill excludes health care providers from federal health care programs (e.g., Medicare) and federally funded state health care programs (e.g., Medicaid) for one year if they fail to furnish services to a patient based on the patient's political statements. Providers are subject to two-year exclusions for actions that cause a patient to be in violation of a public health emergency.
Sponsors: Rep. Cawthorn, Madison [R-NC-11]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals who receive services from healthcare providers under federal or state programs
Estimated Size: 100000000
- Healthcare providers who have to adhere to the conditions set by the bill.
- Patients who are politically active or have strong political opinions that may influence their choice or treatment by healthcare providers.
- Individual citizens with politically sensitive conditions might face challenges accessing care based on the providers' perception of their political statements.
- All Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries could feel indirect effects due to changes in availability or attitudes of providers.
Reasoning
- The Candace Owens Act may not directly impact every individual but ripple effects could influence various facets of healthcare practice and patient experience.
- The budget of $1,500,000,000 restricts the scale at which enforcement and education around the policy can be effectively executed in the first year.
- Given the policy's target of Medicare/Medicaid participants and their healthcare providers, the reach is extensive but the effects may be nuanced, reflecting in varied well-being impacts.
- With the requirement of political neutrality in service provision, healthcare providers may adapt by becoming more indifferent to patients' political statements, affecting patient-provider relationships.
- Some patients might feel more secure knowing their political beliefs can't affect their healthcare, whereas others might distrust the sincerity of their care if they feel it's only motivated by compliance.
- The prevalence of the targeted concerns (political bias in healthcare provision) in actual practice and its direct effects are uncertain, posing challenges to targeted and efficient policy implementation.
- The public health context, particularly in states with ongoing emergencies, will shape more severe implications under exclusion for providers.
Simulated Interviews
nurse (Austin, Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am concerned about the implications of scrutinizing patients' political statements.
- As a provider, I never focus on a patient's politics, but I fear this policy could lead to increased paperwork or audits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
retired engineer (Miami, Florida)
Age: 70 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I appreciate this measure for its attempt to ensure unbiased treatment, though I wonder if it's truly necessary.
- I haven't faced discrimination but am aware others claim such issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
software developer (San Francisco, California)
Age: 33 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Ensuring political neutrality in healthcare is critical; this might be an overdue policy, though its enforcement seems tricky.
- My worries are more about data breaches and privacy if political stances are recorded.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
primary care physician (Cleveland, Ohio)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm apprehensive about inadvertently non-compliance due to the complexity of identifying political bias.
- Under pressure, practices might rush to document patients' political beliefs to protect against accusations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
retired teacher (Phoenix, Arizona)
Age: 82 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the new policy, I'm just concerned about any reduction in my choice of doctors.
- On one hand, if it stops discrimination, that's positive, but I'm skeptical about real change without inconvenience.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
non-profit manager (New York, New York)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't see this affecting my healthcare directly, as politics are not a central part of my healthcare discussions.
- However, I support initiatives that promote fair treatment overall.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
construction worker (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've always felt my views don't impact my care much, but this policy might assure others it won't restructure services.
- I wonder if this raises costs — indirectly increasing my out-of-pocket expenses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
healthcare administrator (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As an administrator, policy implementation will involve significant tasks, though the perceived benefit to direct patient care could be abstract.
- Fear of exclusion might lead to extra stress and defensive practices among clinicians.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
freelance journalist (Denver, Colorado)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This might create an environment of fear within healthcare, affecting reporting and stories I cover.
- While politically charged health issues need addressing, I’m concerned about unintended effects on provider-patient trust.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
law student (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill may create precedent in healthcare law — the political neutrality can be a strong statement if followed.
- I'm eager to see if it leads to broader healthcare discussions on ethics and personal beliefs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1500000000 (Low: $1000000000, High: $2000000000)
Year 2: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 3: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Healthcare access and continuity might be affected for a portion of the population.
- Administrative oversight costs are significant due to compliance monitoring and enforcement requirements.
- Potential legal challenges by healthcare providers could lead to additional costs.
- Short-term economic disruptions may occur but are expected to be transient.