GOP nominee hasn't said a word about health care his whole campaign

Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has been campaigning to be Florida’s governor for 259 days — and has yet to offer up a health care plan.

DeSantis launched his campaign on January 29 of this year.

During his time in the House of Representatives, DeSantis made attacking health care reform a major issue. Now he ignores the topic, despite its importance to Floridians.

By contrast, the Tampa Bay Times notes that Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum “is making healthcare a central part of his agenda.” Gillum supports expanding Medicaid and Medicare for all.

In a recent ad devoted to health care, Gillum says, “In the state of Florida everyday working people, middle-class people, should not be one illness away from bankruptcy.”

Citing an analysis of search trends across the state, the Times noted that in 60 out of Florida’s 67 counties, health care was the most searched for political topic. Polling from NBC News/Marist of Floridians echoed those findings, with health care rating above jobs and the economy as Florida concerns.

But health care is not among the key issues listed on DeSantis’ current campaign website.

Prior to his campaign, DeSantis prioritized attacking health care reform in Congress. The Times noted he was “among the most hard line opponents,” and even opposed the plan proposed by Trump and Congressional Republicans “until it included provisions enabling states to obtain waivers to allow insurers to increase prices for people with pre-existing conditions.”

That provision would have made the Republican plan, which already would have stripped health insurance from millions of people, even more cruel.

The stance is in line with DeSantis’ past activism against reform, including his statement that cancer patients without health insurance should just “show up to the emergency room.”

Note to DeSantis, the emergency room is not an effective stand in for health care coverage, and everyone knows it.

Gillum’s running mate, Chris King, said at a campaign event, “We are running against a major nominee from the other party that, 22 days from the election, does not have a plan.”

Health care is one of the most important issues of 2018, and citizens want  elected officials address it.

But despite his history of trying to undermine the system put in place by Democrats, DeSantis is now doing everything to avoid the topic. Two hundred fifty-nine days have gone by without DeSantis offering any kind of plan of action for millions of Floridians, making it clear that it just doesn’t matter to him.