Health Care: Kerry, Bush plans offer a stark choice (Boston Globe)

[struggle4progress]

By Raja Mishra, Globe Staff | October 10, 2004

Both presidential candidates agree the American health care system is troubled: Coverage is too costly, too many are uninsured. <snip>

A Lewin Group analysis found that Kerry's plan would insure 25.2 million more Americans, at a cost of $1.2 trillion; Bush's plan would cover 8.2 million people with a $227.5 billion price tag. More partisan analyses differ, though the wide differences in scope and cost between the plans are a common theme of virtually all of them. <snip>

Kerry offers a two-pronged plan: First, Kerry would expand existing government programs in order to cover virtually every American child lacking insurance, as well as millions more adults.

Secondly, he would help companies pay for very sick patients. These ''catastrophic patients" usually suffer from chronic conditions and although they make up about 1 percent of those in the health care system, they use 30 percent of the health care dollars spent. Kerry would pay 75 percent of companies' catastrophic costs. Companies would save money on health care, and be able to afford to cover more workers while charging them lower premiums. Kerry's campaign estimates that the average worker at companies participating -- the plan is voluntary -- would save $1,000 annually. <snip>

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2004/10/10/kerry_bush_plans_offer_a_stark_choice?pg=2

[XanaDUer]

1. Now the Shrubbies are running an ad with a female OB/GYN

saying that Kerry will never stop tort reform!

I CANNOT STAND IT ANYMORE!

[struggle4progress]

2. They've been playing the same tired tort-reform song for ...

... thirty years or more. There's plenty of good response material available. Google the PIRGs, for example.