|
OK, so things are spiraling a little out of control on the answers -- but it's partially my fault. People wanted two paragraphs and I said OK -- people wanted to play with the format and I said not-so-ok but I'd put it up.
So don't be too hard on the candidates this time. It's my fault for the rules being fuzzy -- no candidate wants to be the one that gets one paragraph if the other are going to take two. However, next week the topic will be Military Spending and the following rules will be strictly enforced:
1) 200 words or less
2) Starts with either the phrase "I am the only candidate who" or "Unlike Candidates X, Y, and Z, I" (must be at least three candidates you differ from).
3) Must contain a policy point in the first sentence.
This will level the playing field. For this week though, know that the fault lies with me for not providing enough guidance.
So without further ado, in the order they were recieved -- the question was "What is different about your health care policy?"
From the Edwards campaign:
I am the only candidate to propose a specific plan that guarantees true universal health care and also gives Americans the option of a public plan. Every last man, woman and child in this country will be covered. We have to stop using words like "access to health care" when we know with certainty those words mean something less than universal care. Who are you willing to leave behind without the care they need? We need a truly universal solution, and we need it now.
Under my plan, businesses will either cover their employees or help pay their premiums. The government will make insurance affordable through new tax credits and by leading the way toward more cost-effective care. New "Health Care Markets" will give families and businesses purchasing power and a choice of quality plans. Finally, once these steps have been taken, all American residents will be required to take responsibility and get insurance. Individuals in Health Care Markets will have a choice of insurance plans including a public plan. That choice will force private insurers to operate in a more competitive market, holding down costs and improving care, and may evolve toward a single payer approach.
From the Obama campaign:
I am the only candidate who will sign legislation by the end of my first term that will cover every American and cut the cost of every family's premiums by up to $2,500 -- the biggest cost-savings that any presidential candidate has proposed. The reason 45 million Americans don't have health insurance is not because they don't want it; it's because they can't afford it. So if we want to cover every American, we have to cut costs for every family -- like Rebecca's family in Concord. When I am president, everyone will be able to buy into a new health insurance plan that's similar to the one Congressmen enjoy. If you cannot afford it, you will receive a subsidy to pay for it. If you have children, they will be covered. If you change jobs, your insurance will go with you. If you need to see a doctor, you will not have to wait in long lines for one. If you want more choices, you will also have the option of purchasing a number of affordable private plans that have similar benefits and standards for quality and efficiency. But if we really want universal health care in this country, it's not enough just to put a Democrat in the White House, we need to turn the page on yesterday?s failed health care debates. We need a President who can bring together business, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution. That's what I did as a State Senator when we covered 150,000 more people, and cracked down on health providers who gouged the uninsured. And that's what I'll do as President. It's time we led the world -- not lagged behind it -- in the quality of care we have in America. (Note: One paragraph can't capture all the details, but you can read the full plan and offer your comments either via this Blue Hampshire diary or at our health care blog.)
From the Dodd campaign:
I am the only candidate that has over 20 years of experience getting things done. We have known what the problems and solutions are for years. What's been missing is leadership that can bring people together to get things done. For example, when I first introduced the Family Medical Leave Act, people thought it would never get done, but I helped bring labor and business, Democrats and Republicans together. Today, 50 million Americans and their families have benefited from FMLA. It is now time to bring people together on health care and turn Democratic principles into American policy.
My healthcare plan will provide universal health coverage through universal responsibility. My plan creates a health insurance marketplace based on, and parallel to, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan (FEHB) so that every American has access to the same health insurance as their Congressperson. Every employer and individual will be given the chance to go to the marketplace to purchase high quality health care or if they wish, keep their existing insurance. Individuals and businesses will contribute based on their ability to pay. Solving the health care crisis also requires us to ensure that every American has access to the services and providers that they need. We need to place greater emphasis on prevention so we can treat illnesses like asthma and diabetes before they require a trip to the emergency room and we must invest in technology and data collection for better care and better efficiencies. Savings in better care and better efficiencies will finance new coverage and drive down premiums. Over time, universal coverage will pay off in terms of improved health, new models of better care, more affordable care, and higher productivity. But if we are going to turn these ideas into reality, we are going to have to have leadership with the experience to get things done."
From the Gravel campaign:
I am the only candidate that has proposed a single-payer Health Care Voucher plan. The vouchers would be issued by the government, and would allow patients a choice of health care plans. The cost to individuals would be minimal. This would get insurance out of the hands of employers while still allowing people multiple options. If the insurance and pharmaceutical industry does not shape up after the vouchers are implemented, we will look at producing a competing government plan, but that's phase two. We'll get people insured first.
The details of the plan may change, since if I am elected President, I will lead the effort to use the National Initiative to pass this, and the American people will have the final say. By using the National Initiative we can make sure the special interests and health care lobbyists don't write this law.
From the Kucinich campaign:
I am the only candidate to recognize the single payer not-for-profit comprehensive solution to the problem of providing access to health care is a solution that includes everyone and excludes no one. It is time we all recognize that every civilized country today has found a solution that we must adapt to this country. American businesses can no longer be competitive shouldering the entire cost of health care. Health care is something all Americans must have - it is crucial to the security of our nation. I will establish the streamlined National Health Insurance Plan, as outlined in HR 676, which would be publicly financed health care, privately delivered, and will put patients and doctors back in control of the system. Coverage will be more complete than private insurance plans; encourage prevention; and include prescription drugs, dental care, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and alternative and complementary medicine.
I'm proud to say I'm the leader among all the candidates when it comes to recognizing a solution but I am last when it comes to taking campaign contributions from those invested in the current for-profit health care system; that's because I won't accept them.
From the Clinton campaign:
Hillary Clinton is committed to providing quality, affordable health insurance to every single American. She has offered three principles that will guide her work: access, quality, and cost. She has already laid out a seven point plan to cut costs by focusing on prevention, modernizing our medical records, controlling the cost of chronic diseases, and more. She laid out her cost plan first because we will only be able to achieve universal health care if we get these costs under control. She has spent a long time on this problem, and Senator Clinton knows from her previous healthcare battles that we have to build consensus to get universal coverage - no one person is going to get it done by him or herself. This is not just a question of ideas; it's a question of political will. With that in mind, she is going to reach out, talk to the American people, and work with Congress to get the job done.
From the Biden campaign:
I am the only candidate who knows first-hand what it is like to survive a life-threatening emergency surgery. When I suffered an aneurysm in 1988, I was lucky to have health insurance. I knew that if I didn't survive, my family wouldn't be saddled with crushing debt. I knew that I could access good health care, afford the surgery I needed, and get the care I required to recover. Millions of Americans don't have that assurance. No one in this country should be denied access to health care. That's why, as president, I would make achieving universal health care a top priority. W e have to begin by covering every uninsured child, providing access to quality, affordable healthcare for all adults and assisting families and employers who suffer from the burden of catastrophic cases. We must also modernize and simplify healthcare in the United States by using electronic records and providing doctors, nurses and pharmacists with vital patient information in real time and creating a standard claim form. This will reduce administrative costs and help prevent costly medical errors. Prevention is as important as the access to care itself, which is why I have worked so hard to increase funding for cancer research and early detection. We must develop standards and best practices for management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to help people living with those conditions stay healthy. We can afford a national health care plan if we leave Iraq responsibly and end the Bush tax cut for the wealthiest one percent.
From the Richardson campaign:
I am the only candidate who believes that all stakeholders - government, individuals and business - must share the goal and the sacrifice of providing universal health care coverage for all Americans. My plan builds upon proven, existing systems and creates no new bureaucracies. It also provides more choices for American families. If you like your current health care plan, you can keep that coverage. Individuals, families and small businesses can choose to purchase the same coverage that members of Congress enjoy. Americans 55 to 64 may keep their current coverage or purchase early coverage through Medicare. Young adults up to age 25 will be allowed to keep their family coverage regardless of student status. And to help make coverage more affordable, my plan also provides a sliding-scale tax credit for individuals and families who need help paying coverage. All Americans will be required to obtain health care coverage once these reforms are in place, and employers will be required to do their fair share to contribute to a healthy and covered work force. The principal of shared sacrifice, of sharing the burden of making sure that every American has health insurance, is what sets my health care policy apart from the other candidates.
Poll underneath -- click "Discuss"...
|
