The rollercoaster of the 2024 presidential election is continuing its unexpected twists and turns. President Joe Biden announced he will not seek re-election. Not since President Lyndon B. Johnson has a sitting president withdrawn this late in the race. Democrats have been quick to coalesce around Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive nominee, which begs the question — what would a Kamala presidency look like should she succeed and what health care policies can we expect? Here’s what we know so far.

Carrying on the Torch for Lowering Prescription Drugs

Vice President Harris has been aligned with President Biden on lowering health care costs. Under their Administration, the cost of insulin has been capped at $35 per month and the federal government has begun direct price negotiations on 10 widely-used drugs paid for by Medicare Part D, with plans for more in the future. As a candidate, Harris was a supporter of a plan to set new price caps for all drugs sold in the U.S. based on prices charged in peer nations for the same medications.

Previous Interest in Revamping Medicare and Medicaid, Including Medicare-for-All

As a presidential candidate in 2016, Harris released her own plan for health care, which proposed to set up a 10-year transition period that would automatically enroll all newborns and the uninsured in Medicare. Although supportive of Senator Sanders’ Medicare-for-All plan, Harris’ plan saw a space for private insurers, if they agreed to strict coverage and cost standards.

Continued Focus on Maternal and Reproductive Health Policy

Harris has been behind many of the Biden Administration’s efforts to advance maternal health, including the Biden Harris Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis. Harris has also been an outspoken advocate for abortion rights and has criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending the federally protected right to abortion.

Tough on Fraud, Waste, and Anti-Competitive Mergers

As California’s Attorney General, Harris was dogged about opposing health care mergers that, in her estimation, were anti-competitive and could jeopardize patient access. She presided over whistleblower lawsuits against Quest Diagnostics and McKesson, and joined the Justice Department it its lawsuit against Anthem and Cigna’s 2017 attempted merger.