Richardson unveils mandatory healthcare plan

[Sapphire Blue]

Richardson unveils mandatory healthcare plan
August 8, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico became the latest presidential contender yesterday to embrace a requirement that all Americans get health insurance, releasing a plan he said would cut healthcare costs and cover all Americans without raising taxes.

Richardson's plan would expand existing programs to cover more young people, those near retirement, and veterans. It would offer Medicare as a choice to Americans age 55 to 64, and would expand Medicaid and SCHIP coverage for children in poor families. Young adults as old as 25 would have the option of staying in their parents' healthcare plans. And a new "Heroes Health Card" would be offered to veterans -- assuring them, the Democratic governor said, of less bureaucracy and "the same decent medical coverage that so many of us civilians take for granted."

Mandatory health insurance is meant to lower the high cost of paying for emergency healthcare for the nation's 47 million uninsured. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, now a GOP contender for president, was an architect of the Massachusetts plan, and former North Carolina senator John Edwards, a Democrat, has also released a plan that seeks to provide insurance for all Americans.

But Richardson contends he would not need to raise taxes to pay for his plan. Instead, he said, he would require insurance companies to spend less on administration, setting aside at least 85 percent of spending for direct care. Credit card companies would be limited in the amount of interest they could charge for costs related to medical care.

Richardson also would allow Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies in an effort to lower prices, an idea rejected by Congress when it passed a Medicare prescription drug coverage plan in late 2003.


http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/08/richardson_unveils_mandatory_healthcare_plan/

Richardson outlines health insurance plan
Quad City Times | 08/07/2007

by Bill Richardson

~ excerpt ~

As the presidential election approaches, we'll hear plans creating huge government bureaucracies or forcing a “one size fits all” approach upon families.

Our well-being is too important to leave to massive, untested programs. My plan is a common-sense approach that builds upon existing systems, offers well-established coverage options, and provides Americans with choices of affordable care:

1. Working families and small businesses will be able to purchase the same coverage available to the president and members of Congress.

2. We will allow Americans 55 to 64 to buy in to Medicare.

3. We will strengthen the Veterans Administration and create a Heroes Health Card to provide veterans with high-quality care, without bureaucratic hassles.

4. We will enable dependent young adults to remain on their parents' plans until the age of 25, reducing their costs and increasing coverage.

5. Families who want to keep their current health insurance will have the freedom to do so.

6. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.

My plan also keeps coverage affordable:

A sliding scale tax credit will help families obtain coverage.

My plan will cap interest charges on personal credit card medical debt.

As with auto insurance, all Americans will be required to have health coverage and employers will pay their fair share of employee health-care costs.

We will control costs by streamlining administration, implementing electronic medical records and simplifying hospital regulation.

We will also emphasize preventive care and healthier lifestyle choices. In my state we improved the rate of fully immunized children, took junk food out of schools and put physical education back in.
Investments in preventive care will create a healthier America and save billions of dollars.

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/articles?id=0153

American Choices: Bill Richardson’s Plan for Affordable Health Coverage for All Americans (08/07/2007 speech): http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/speeches?id=0017


Richardson Health Plan Executive Summary: http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/issues/healthcare?id=0001


Health Care Plan (PDF): http://billrichardson.cachefly.net/pdf/whitepapers/richardsonhealthplan.pdf

[redqueen]

1. So he's for for-profit healthcare, too.

Great. Fabulous.

[AndyTiedye]

3. Seems to Be Somewhere in the Middle, Since He Would Regulate the Level of Overhead

and regulating the overhead means that they can only increase profit by reducing overhead.

In particular, it should prevent them from increasing profits by denying coverage.

[redqueen]

6. *sigh*

What's the point? So he's for less profit but still keeping profit in the equation.

Sorry, but fuck that. That's just stupid.

[Justitia]

2. And what are the penalties for not having the mandatory insurance?

How will people afford the premiums besides a "tax credit"?
If you cannot afford the monthly premiums, what is the penalty of this "mandatory" insurance?

I am not happy w/this proposal, but here are the points I do like:
-cannot refuse "pre-existing conditions"
-opening Medicare to age 55 (vs. 65, today)

But, let's make this even simpler and just use the system we already have in place, that operates at an incredibly low overhead, right now:

MEDICARE FOR ALL

[Donnachaidh]

4. So the insurance companies would STILL be the middlemen?

Uhhh - no thank you. They've already proven they are willing to let Americans DIE so they can make a quick buck.

NO fucking compromise! NONE. :grr:

[LSK]

5. Edwards is superior as he allows everyone to buy into Medicare