Putnam and DeSantis Have Strongly Backed Trump’s Health Care Sabotage; Both Candidates Avoid Discussing Health Care on the Campaign Trail

Adam Putnam and Ron DeSantis have spent almost a year cheerleading Donald Trump’s sabotage of the ACA. Now, as Floridians’ rates are set to increase by up to 8.8 percent, the Republican gubernatorial candidates are going dark. Both DeSantis and Putnam have refused to lay out a health care plan, largely avoided discussing the issue on the campaign trail, and won’t even mention health care on their websites.

“Adam Putnam and Ron DeSantis are ignoring voters’ biggest concern: the rising cost of health care. Instead of offering any solutions to increase access to care, Putnam and DeSantis have spent the last year cheerleading Donald Trump’s health care sabotage. Both Putnam and DeSantis would rather lather praise on Donald Trump than talk about how he is ripping away care and causing costs to skyrocket,” said FDP spokesperson Kevin Donohoe.

Health care is a top issue for voters in both parties. Just last week, a Fox News poll revealed that it was the second most important issue for Republican primary voters — right behind immigration. A Politico/AARP poll showed that nearly two-thirds of Florida voters polled — 63 percent — said they disapproved of how the Republican-controlled Congress has handled health care policy.

Yet Putnam and Desantis have almost completely ignored the issue on the campaign trail — and have struggled to answer even the most basic questions about health care policy. In April, Putnam was asked by Rick Mullaney, the director of Jacksonville University’s Public Policy Institute, what he would do as governor to address rising health care costs. After briefly mentioning federal block grants for Medicaid, Putnam said the solution to the state’s health care affordability and access issues was simply improving the economy — and planting community gardens.

DeSantis has been even quieter about his plans to address rising rates — although he has enthusiastically and repeatedly backed Donald Trump’s sabotage of the Affordable Care Act.