Bush* Looks at New Health Care Initiative, Advisors Say

[kskiska]

ELISABETH BUMILLER and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 — President Bush is expected to propose a health care initiative in his State of the Union address to help the uninsured and the underinsured, White House advisers said on Friday.

It was unclear how much the initiative, to be announced in the address on Tuesday, would cost at a time when Mr. Bush is under pressure because of a growing budget deficit. But White House officials have made clear that they do not want to cede the politically potent issue of health care to the Democratic presidential candidates, all of whom have made health care a centerpiece of their campaigns.

"One of the main drivers of a significant section of the uninsured in America is because of the rising costs of health care," a senior administration official said Friday in a briefing to reporters. "And those can be addressed from several different ways, which he'll talk about on Tuesday."

Mr. Bush has already proposed an $89 billion, 10-year package of tax credits for the uninsured, which is many times less than the health plans of the Democrats.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/01/17/politics/17CONG.html

[madrchsod]

1. tax credits for health care?

you have to have an income to pay taxes. no one is going to believe him..

[Momof1]

2. Just another way of getting reelected...but what would be

the costs? That could push his base over the edge, They are still pissed about the "undocumented workers" and the cost of the Mars crap....lol This just might blow up in his face.

[leesa]

3. How's he going to hamstring healthcare now? Most of the problems

in healthcare are the pharmaceutical companies' and the insurance companies' greed. He will certainly not do anything to the groups with the biggest lobbies and richest CEOs.

[pfitz59]

4. Bush looks at teleprompter.....

Reads "initiative". Mispronounces it. Coverup at 10!

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Strip away all the BS

And we will find that what he means is: Unless you can pay, if you get sick, you die.

[teryang]

6. Sounds like he is getting desperate

...with these health care sound bites.