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Vice President Kamala Harris, who made a brief appearance at Monday night's opening session of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, may have been the star of the evening, but healthcare wasn't far behind.

The first mention of healthcare came a little less than an hour in, when former Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu (D), co-chair of the party's platform committee, discussed the differences between Harris and her opponent, former President Donald Trump. "Kamala Harris will protect reproductive freedoms; Donald Trump will rip them away," he said. "Kamala Harris will lower costs for Americans, expand access to affordable healthcare, and protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare; Donald Trump will cut taxes for billionaires and big corporations, and he will pay for it by putting healthcare and Social Security on the chopping block."

Big Section on COVID

The proceedings also included a section on COVID, starting with remarks from Rep. Lauren Underwood, RN (D-Ill.). "COVID was the worst public health crisis in a century," Underwood said. "Donald Trump failed us but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris got it under control. Donald Trump said, 'It is what it is.' Joe Biden and Kamala Harris said, 'Help is on the way.'"

"Four years ago, it was not safe to hold a convention like this," she said. "But tonight, thousands are gathered here ... to make sure Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States." The U.S. is currently in the midst of its largest summer COVID surge in at least 2 years, as measured by the CDC's wastewater dashboard.

"Democrats in Congress tried to lower the cost of healthcare; Trump tried to take our healthcare away," said Underwood. "We tried to expand Social Security and Medicare. Trump tried to cut them year after year after year. He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe. We can never let him be our president again."

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) continued on the COVID theme. "We all remember where we were in 2020," Garcia said, referring to the start of the pandemic. "My mom was a healthcare worker. We watched in terror as COVID consumed our lives ... What we needed was national leadership but instead we got Donald Trump. While schools closed and dead bodies filled the morgue, Donald Trump downplayed the virus, told us to inject bleach, and peddled conspiracy theories."

Garcia said he lost both his mother and his stepfather to COVID. "I miss them every single day. So when Donald Trump and [Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene downplay the horror of the pandemic, it should make us all furious." He praised Biden and Harris because they "got people vaccinated and got the virus under control."

Medicare Drug Negotiation Program Praised

Other healthcare topics also made an appearance. Underwood said that as a nurse, "I care deeply about making healthcare more affordable, and as someone with a preexisting condition, I'm committed to protecting those most at risk." She praised Harris for introducing the Senate version of the "Momnibus" bill -- aimed at reducing maternal mortality, especially among Black women -- that Underwood sponsored in the House, noting that Harris did so "because she protects people."

Brian Wallach, a former federal prosecutor and 7-year amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient, appeared in a wheelchair next to his wife, Sandra Abrevaya; they founded I Am ALS, a patient advocacy group. "We've seen how relentless activism can beat the odds, just like Brian has been doing for 7 years," said Abrevaya. "That's what we need to elect Kamala Harris. She's the daughter of a breast cancer researcher, and she knows the promise of science."

The convention's opening night came only a few days after Medicare released its list of the first 10 drugs for which it had negotiated prices under a new program, a fact noted by Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez (D). "Kamala Harris will take on Big Pharma and lower the cost of prescriptions for everyone," not just Medicare enrollees, she said.

Abortion Rights

"Of course, healthcare isn't just about drugs and treatments, it's about freedom -- the freedom to make your own [reproductive] choices, and the freedom to get care you need without worrying about cost," she said. "Kamala Harris is fighting for that healthy future." Like Rodriguez, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also mentioned the abortion issue, saying to loud applause that Harris "will restore abortion rights nationwide."

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) took the discussion further. "Donald Trump brags about tearing away a constitutional right [to abortion] from every woman and girl in our country; that's why we must tear away any chance he could ever be president again," he said, adding that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that overturned a nationwide right to abortion "resulted in a ban on all abortions in my state even in cases of rape, incest, and non-viable pregnancy ... Thankfully, this extremism is being soundly rejected all over our country."

He noted that Trump's running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) "says that pregnancies resulting from rape are simply inconvenient ... Their policies give rapists more rights than pregnant women. That's not inconvenient; it's just plain wrong." Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also addressed the issue, saying that Democrats "believe that a patient's room is too small and too cramped a space for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government -- that's too many people in the room."

Warnock added that the COVID pandemic taught the country an important lesson about cooperation. "A contagious airborne disease means I have a personal stake in the health of my neighbor," Warnock said. "If she gets sick, I may get sick also. I need my neighbor's children to be OK so my children will be OK ... Let's work together; let's organize together. Let's heal together."

Biden Talks Climate Change, Gun Violence

The windup speaker for the night was President Biden, and healthcare was on his mind as well. "Just think about it; COVID no longer controls our lives," he said. "More Americans have the peace of mind that comes from having health insurance. More Americans have health insurance today than ever before in American history."

And with Medicare now having the power to negotiate drug prices -- which was a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by Congress -- "we finally beat Big Pharma," Biden said. "And guess who cast the tie breaking vote? Kamala Harris." He also mentioned the IRA provision capping insulin costs for Medicare enrollees at $35 per month, and the provision capping beneficiaries' out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year.

On climate change Biden reminded convention-goers that with the administration's help, Congress passed a law "cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030 and starting a Climate Corps ... We're going to make sure this continues."

Gun violence also got a mention from the president. "The distinguished senator [Dianne Feinstein] from California and I passed the first ban on assault weapons and guess what, it worked," Biden said. "If you care about public safety, you need to prevent gun violence ... More children in America die from a bullet than cancer, accidents, or anything else in the United States of America.... That's why Kamala and I are proud we beat the [National Rifle Association] and passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Now it's time to ban assault weapons again and demand universal background checks."

The convention continues Tuesday night with remarks expected from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

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