Healthcare Showdown: Trump and Harris Spar Over Legacy of 'Obamacare'

In case you missed the big showdown last night between Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, here's what each of the presidential candidates had to say about healthcare policy.

When asked directly by ABC News' Linsey Davis whether he has a plan for healthcare reform, Trump said, "I have concepts of a plan. I'm not president right now."

It was a relatively vague response compared to his opponent's clear vow to "maintain and grow" the Affordable Care Act.

"Obamacare was lousy healthcare, always was – it's not very good today," Trump said during the presidential debate Tuesday night hosted by ABC News. "...We are working on things, we're going to do it and we're going to replace it but remember this; I inherited Obamacare because Democrats wouldn't change it."

Trump went on to say that if Congress had voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, his administration would have had a "much better plan" for healthcare. As President, he said, that left him with a choice to make regarding his predecessor's healthcare legislation.

"Do I save it and make it as good as it can be, or do I let it rot? And I saved it. I did the right thing," Trump said. "But it's still never going to be great and it's too expensive for people and what we will do is we're looking at different plans. If we can come up with a plan that's going to cost our people, our population, less money and be better healthcare than Obamacare then I would absolutely do it. But until then I'd run it as good as it can be run."

Harris said that one can simply look at history to know where people stand as it relates to the Affordable Care Act.

"When Donald Trump was President, 60 times he tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Sixty times," Harris said. "I was a senator at the time when, I will never forget the early morning hours when it was up for a vote in the United States Senate and the late great John McCain ... walked onto the Senate floor and said, 'No you don't. No you don't get rid of the Affordable Care Act. You have no plan."

Trump responded by saying that McCain fought "Obamacare" for 10 years and that McCain wasn't the only congressperson during his administration who fought against changing the healthcare legislation.

"We could do much better than Obamacare, much less money, but she won't improve private insurance for people," Trump said. "Private medical insurance, that's another thing, because people are paying privately for insurance that have worked hard and made money and they want to have private. She wants everybody to be on government insurance where you wait six months for an operation that you need."

Harris said that the Affordable Care Act has eliminated the ability of insurance companies to deny people with pre-existing conditions.

"I don't have to tell the people watching tonight, you remember what that was like," she said, speaking directly to the camera. "Remember when an insurance company could deny if a child had asthma, if someone was a breast cancer survivor, if a grandparent had diabetes."

Harris also said that during her term as Vice President the current administration has strengthened the Affordable Care Act.

"We have allowed for the first time Medicare to negotiate drug prices on behalf of you, the American people," Harris said. "Donald Trump said he was going to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, he never did, we did. And now we have capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month since I've been Vice President. We have capped the cost of prescription medication for seniors at $2,000 a year. And when I am president we will do that for all people.

She also emphasized her stance that healthcare access should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it.

Check out the video clips below to hear for yourself what each candidate said about healthcare policy, or scroll down to read the full video transcripts.

What Trump said about healthcare

Video transcript:

Former President Donald Trump: Obamacare was lousy healthcare, always was – it's not very good today – and what I said was that if we come up with something – and we are working on things, we're going to do it and we're going to replace it but remember this; I inherited Obamacare because Democrats wouldn't change it. They wouldn't vote for it; they were unanimous, they wouldn't vote to change it. If they would have done that we would have had a much better plan than Obamacare but the Democrats came up, they wouldn't vote for it.

I had a choice to make when I was President; do I save it and make it as good as it can be – it’s never going to be great – or do I let it rot? And I felt I had an obligation, even though politically it would have been good to just let it rot and let it go away, I decided and I told my people, the top people – and they're very good people, I have a lot of good people in this that administration. We read about the bad ones, we had some real bad ones too, and so do they have really bad ones and the difference is they don't get rid of them – but let me just explain, I had a choice to make; Do I save it and make it as good as it can be or do I let it rot? And I saved it. I did the right thing.

But it's still never going to be great and it's too expensive for people and what we will do is we're looking at different plans. If we can come up with a plan that's going to cost our people, our population, less money and be better healthcare than Obamacare then I would absolutely do it. But until then I'd run it as good as it can be run.

Co-Moderator Linsey Davis of ABC News: So, just a yes or no, you still do not have a plan?

Former President Donald Trump: I have concepts of a plan. I'm not President right now. But if we come up with something I would only change it if we come up with something that's better and less expensive. And there are concepts and options we have to do that and you'll be hearing about it in the not too distant future.

What Harris said about healthcare

Video transcript:

Vice President Kamala Harris: What we need to do is maintain and grow the Affordable Care Act and I’ll get to that, Lindsey, I just need to respond to a previous point that the former president has made. I've made very clear my position on fracking and then this business about taking everyone's guns away Tim Walz and I are both gun owners, we're not taking anybody's guns away, so stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.

As it relates to the Affordable Care Act, understand, let's just look at the history to know where people stand. When Donald Trump was president 60 times he tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Sixty times. I was a senator at the time when, I will never forget the early morning hours when it was up for a vote in the United States Senate and the late great John McCain – who you have disparaged as being a, you don't like him you said at the time because he got caught, he was an American hero – the late great John McCain I will never forget that night walked onto the Senate floor and said [thumbs down gesture] "No you don't. No you don't. No you don't get rid of the Affordable Care Act. You have no plan." And what the Affordable Care Act has done is eliminate the ability of insurance companies to deny people with pre-existing conditions I don't have to tell the people watching tonight you remember what that was like remember when an insurance company could deny if a child had asthma if someone was a breast cancer survivor if a if a grandparent had diabetes and thankfully as I've been vice president and we over the last four years have strengthened the Affordable Care Act we have allowed for the first time Medicare to negotiate drug prices on behalf of you the American people Donald Trump said he was going to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices he never did we did and now we have capped the cost of insulin at $35.00 a month since I've been vice president we have capped the cost of prescription medication for seniors at $2000 a year and when I am president we will do that for all people understanding that the value I bring to this is that access to healthcare should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it and the plan has to be to strengthen the Affordable Care Act not get rid of it.

Former President Donald Trump: She made a mistake. Number one, John McCain fought Obamacare for 10 years but it wasn't only him it was all of the Democrats that kept it going and you know what? We could do much better than Obamacare, much less money, but she won't improve private insurance for people. Private medical insurance, that's another thing because people are paying privately for insurance that have worked hard and made money and they want to have private. She wants everybody to be on government insurance where you wait six months for an operation that you need.