Presidential Candidates on Health Care
September 16, 2007
From The Associated Press
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton rejoins the health care debate in earnest Monday with a plan to expand coverage. Positions of other presidential candidates:
DEMOCRATS:
_Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: Expand health insurance to cover all children and to make catastrophic care available for all; look to states for ideas on moving toward universal coverage.
_Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd: Expand coverage by offering insurance that could be taken from job to job, with premiums based on ability to pay. No cost estimates offered for plan. Offer coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees.
_Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards: Achieve mandatory universal coverage by 2012 with a system of expanded federal health insurance, family tax credits and coverage requirements on employers, insurance companies and individuals. Increase taxes to pay for program’s cost of up to $120 billion a year.
_Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich: Favors national health insurance program covering medical, dental, mental health and long-term care for all, as well as prescription drugs. “My plan doesn’t provide for a role for for-profit insurance companies.”
_Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: Require employers to share costs of insuring workers and ensure all children are covered. Offer coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes to pay the cost.
_New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: Tax breaks for businesses and for people who pay for their own coverage. Lower the eligibility age for Medicare to 55 and expand programs for poor and children. Package could cost up to $110 billion a year. Would seek savings in medical care by expanding spending on preventive care.
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REPUBLICANS:
_Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback: “Market-based solutions, not government-run health care.”
_Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: Income tax deduction of $7,500 per taxpayer to defray insurance costs. Tax credit for poorer workers to supplement Medicaid and employer contributions, as part of “market-driven” expansion of affordable coverage. Expanded use of health savings accounts.
_Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: Favors market solutions, state innovation. “We don’t need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funding through ever-higher taxes.” Spend more on prevention and research.
_California Rep. Duncan Hunter: Supported expansion of health insurance through tax breaks, not government-sponsored universal coverage.
_Arizona Sen. John McCain: Has a record of promoting prescription drug coverage for older people and expanded insurance for children, but not universal coverage.
_Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: Incentives for states to expand affordable coverage. As governor, he signed health care law aimed at ensuring universal coverage through a mix of subsidies, sliding scale premiums and penalties for those who do not get insurance.
_Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo: Market reforms instead of more federal spending to expand health coverage.
_Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson: “Market-driven” expansion of affordable coverage.
