SEARCH
Health Care: The Republicans’ Plans |
|
On Tuesday, the 10 hopefuls currently making a run for the Republican presidential nomination met for a debate at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. Overwhelmingly, the candidates focused on Iraq and national security. Domestic issues important to working families weren’t much on the radar screen, but the audience did get some insight into how Republicans would address health care.
The Democratic debate on Sunday provided an opportunity for presidential hopefuls John Edwards, Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich to talk about their specific proposals for widening access to health care. Likewise, last night’s debate gave several Republicans a chance to offer ideas on health care.
Two audience members asked questions on health care, one of the most important issues for working families. Doug Hall talked about the low cost of prescription drugs abroad; Joshua Williamsen, via e-mail, asked about the structure and funding of health insurance.
In response to a question on prescription drugs, Rudy Giuliani announced his plan to tackle the health care crisis: increasing the extent to which it’s a private, individual responsibility. He offered a proposal of tax credits to purchase coverage from private companies, as well as “health savings accounts” through which individuals could pay for noncatastrophic medical treatment out of pocket.
As The Washington Post’s Chris Cilizza noted, Giuliani also used the opportunity to criticize Democratic plans to expand health care coverage. He brought up the red-flag (pardon the pun) term “socialized medicine,” a phrase that many on the stage would repeat through the debate.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson responded with enthusiasm to the question about health care coverage, thanking Williamsen profusely for asking. His response focused almost entirely on cost savings he said were possible through illness prevention, education about health issues, electronic record-keeping and better management of diseases.
It’s particularly interesting to see Mitt Romney discussing health care in this context. As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney worked with a Democratic legislature to craft a health care program that expanded coverage through an individual mandate. Playing to a Republican primary audience, this isn’t considered a strength, and Romney was clearly fighting hard to defend his plan and define it in terms of free markets and personal responsibility. That didn’t stop California Rep. Duncan Hunter from describing Romney as a “health care socialist” and a member of the “Kennedy wing of the Republican Party.”
Finally, Sam Brownback announced that if president, he would make fighting cancer a major priority. While not specific on the steps he would take at the federal level, Brownback, a cancer survivor, said it was a danger that threatened everyone.
Of all the candidates, Giuliani was the most clear about how he’d deal with health care coverage—by leaving families more or less on their own to deal with insurance companies.
Reactions to the debate varied widely around the blogosphere. Sara Tenenbaum of the New Republic and Kevin Drum of Washington Monthly round up the reactions, the team at Election Central share numerous thougts and Cilizza and Real Clear Politics‘ Tom Bevan each give us their take on the night.To learn more about the 2008 candidates and their views on health care, visit Working Families Vote 2008.
5 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
The issue is Health care for all not insurance company profits,or Drug company profits.
The whole delivery system for health care must be changed to take the profit out. Only Denis Kucinich has the plan for single payer health care on a National Level. I look forward to seeing Mikael Moores new film “Sicko” and to hear him testify in support of California’s SB 840 Single Payer health care bill by Shela Kuehl next week.
Universal Health Care
A poem by David G. Hurlburt© 2004
CWA Local 9410
Health care is our basic human right.
Now is the time to stand up and fight.
Put our money and our vote up on the line.
Get up on our feet and walk a picket line.
Dial a phone or write a letter,
Do it so every one will feel better.
Why should only rich have medical care?
And the poor should die don’t you care?
Get out of your chair and in to the street.
It is time for us all to vote with our feet.
Show and tell politicians, turn up the heat.
If we all fight together we can not be beat.
The Iraqis get universal health care,
The rules of war require that its there.
Prisoners in prison get medical care.
But not all Americans that’s just not fair?
What about the hard working poor?
They need medical care for sure?
The system is broken it profits the greedy.
Let us fix the system to serve the needy.
If the Republicans get back in power,,,everyone with any common sense knows who will take care of America’s healthcare system,,,,,,the DRUG COMPANIES WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
I have Had “What May Be” The Best “SUGGESTION” ever submitted by a Member to The Parent. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATIONS– It SHOULD REVOLUTIONISE A REVIVAL in Membership- While Generating BILLIONS of Dollars Across ALL
UNION ORGANIZATIONS Nationwide for Many Many Years to COME.
My Credentials Which Helped Me POSTULATE This Concept are:
AFL-CIO, ALPA PAA Council 10 JFK ( Co-Pilot B-747) Finance Committee Chairman, During Transition of ALPA OFFICES from
Cicero Ave & 55th St, CHICAGO To Washington DC. My ALPA 1967 ID # 31645 Dec 31 1967. First Year/ Retired Nov 1987
Early Retirement Option Re Pan Am Sale og Pacific Divission PAA to United Airlines (25 747 Aircraft and ALL CREW to Operate them)( 5 Capts & 5 Co-Pilot & 5 Flight Engineers and 17 Flight Attendants PER AIRCRAFT) Included with the SALE To UNITED.
As ALPA Finance Committee Chairman I had access to all PAA Flight Crew Seniority Lists to Include all of NATIONAL AIRLINES
MERGED PILOT and Flight Engineer Seniority Lists. -
CONCEPT:
THINK First of AARP– Membership (age 50 and Over) Several Million Strong. AARP has Health and Medical Insurance Available
to all it’s MEMBERSHIP Similar to Blue Cross Blue Shield/– and several other Medical Plans Acailable Industry WIDE– The
Premiums are PAID for By the Members at Group Rates and Oversight by AARP. Average is approximately $125 to $225 per Month Premium Per AARP MEMBER.
Health Care Burden on Auto Makers, Rail Roads, Airlines, and
Manufacturing Plants as well as Ship Building, Police, Fire Fighters,
Hospitals, Garmet Workers– and ALL OTHERS– IS PROFOUND.
Contract Negotiation Failures and Bankruptcy Protection sought from EMPLOYERS.
IF You Could Gather YOUR UNION FINANCE COMMITTEE ALL in one Location to ” BARN-STORM (BRAIN) STORM, THE CONCEPT
for AFL-CIO to Consider Engageing A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
to COVER ALL UNION MEMBERS Through the UNION– NOT the
EMPLOYER– During Up-Comming Contracts– and Consider an Orderly Transition ( Look at COBRA CONTRACT PROVISSIONS)
Protection– Starting for both UNION and Employee and EMPLOYER
– “Say” at 50/50 for 6 months while Policy Voluntairily Takes effect– and Becomes 75/25 after 9 months ant end of YEAR
100% to UNION to Have Union Members Keep Health Care Medical Options Available Until 62 1/2 Retirement ans SS and Medicare A-B-D Become In Full Force at age 65//
THE BENEFIT TO ALL Parties Will be Enormous as well as Give the UNION a Powerful Selling POINT for Current and all Future Membership. In every Industries- TRUE THE Staffing of the Concept will be Problemental but Possible– Just Hire Staff from AARP to Train YOUR Staff.
If I Can be of any Service to your Administration or Executive
OFFICERS for Expanded THINKING and PLANNING– Pleasae feel free to contact Me at HOME In Escondido CA 92026-1985.
First Contact with REQUEST on My eMail Addresses Which Follow:
PRIMARY ( PanAm747sp@aol.com ) //
ALTERNATE ( PanAm7472001@Yahoo.com ) //
RSVP Capt Thomas G Bayless Jr. Retired 747 PAA Pilot
June 8, 2007 9:20pm PDT
If Our UNION PARENT ( AFL-CIO ) would Consider Looking at the
HEALTH CARE/ Medical Benefit/Plan A, Plan B, Plan D, Of the following Providers/ United Health Care/ AARP/ BlueCross BlurShield/ and Several Others ( Group BENEFITS ) and Engage
for QUOTES On Covering all Members of AFL-CIO Through the associated Industry Contract Employers and Council Memberships– ( Employers usually Split 50/50 Premiums) and Payroll deduct Employees Share On every PayCheck. That Practice is causing HAVOK In Contract Negotiations. With Union Shop or even Volunteer Automatic Payroll DUES/INS PREMIUM
Transferred to UNION PARENT Several Million Represented Workers WILL HOLD Independent Health Coverage LINK to Their UNION– Clear the Obsticle to Employers and ENHANCE NEW Membership to Increase Substantially. This a Thought From a
ALPA Council #10 Finance Committee Chairman 6-8-07
An Overall VIEW Of OUR Politicaly Contaminated FUTURE.
Each of US Must Remember “WE THE PEOPLE” (REMEMBER)
when You First Saw That Line or Heard IT or even SPOKE it
in a Class Room. “In order to Form a More Perfect UNION”
I am, You Are, WE All Are, The Government. IT IS “US”,
If it Takes The “IRAQ WAR”, “Health Care Debockel”,
“Anti Stem-cell Iddiots”, UnDocumented Immigrants”,
“Our Sons and Daughters AT Risk with Bad Leadership”,
“Global Warming Blind Executives”, FDA No Oversight
in Failure Mode”, “New Orleans Still a Disaster for “WE”,
“FOOD Oversight-NO PLAN to Protect”, “Gas Prices through the ROOF”, “E-Coli, Salminilla, FDA Incompetant, “WORLD is
Thinking “”WE”" Are Idiots”, “Military Is Shorthanded”,
“Coast Guard has Outdated Fleet”, Walter Reid Hospital
SICK”, ON and ON and ON—
The remedy becomes apparent to all It Is “WE THE PEOPLE”
Who are NOT Being Heard and Congress (R) Need to be
Put on Notice-”YOU ARE NOT HOLDING TO YOUR OATH OF
OFFICE”, Time to Censure or Recall or Impeach . State by
State– CHANGE THE FAILED ELECTED POLITICIANS.
Come On People– DO Something– Becom ACTIVE–
The Country Needs GOOD CITIZENS to DO SOMETHING__ VOTE–VOTE–VOTE– PLEASE