Clinton, Romney Unveil Contrasting Health Care Visions

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/08/24/clinton-romney-unveil-contrasting-health-care-visions/

by Seth Michaels, Aug 24, 2007

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) both have been involved in health care—but with vastly different goals. Clinton spearheaded the effort for comprehensive reform during President Bill Clinton’s administration, while Romney signed problematic legislation in 2006 that required Massachusetts residents to buy their own health insurance. Now, each has made a major address this week on health care—offering starkly different visions for the future of our nation’s system.

Clinton, like other Democratic candidates, is looking for ways to broaden coverage, share responsibility and fix the market failures that have crippled the health care system. Romney, meanwhile, wants to leave more families in the hands of private insurers whose bottom lines don’t often match with quality, affordable care.

Clinton’s address was the second in what she says will be a three-step process of unveiling her plan. In her first speech, in May, she talked about controlling costs, expanding prevention programs and making coverage more affordable. Yesterday, she discussed ways to improve health care quality in a speech that took place at a familiar location: New Hampshire’s Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where in 1993 she announced her first attempt at a universal health care program.

According to the Nashua Telegraph, Clinton offered a wide variety of specific programs to improve health care quality. In particular, Clinton would provide billions in emergency funding to train and retain nursing staff. Her proposals also include increased Medicare reimbursements for doctors who obtain special training and certification, improved electronic record keeping and a “Best Practices” program for the latest medical research.

While she hasn’t fully unveiled the portions of her plan that would provide universal access, she suggested some of the mechanisms by which she planned to do so. According to The Washington Post:

Clinton said her universal health care plan would not involve a single-payer government system. Instead, she said, she would consider expanding Medicare and allow people to join the federal employees insurance program.

“I think you don’t want to take choices away from Americans. We’re big on choice here. But you’ve got to have some framework so the choices work better,” she said.

FULL story at link.

[papau]

1. I like it - no "single payer" - just "expanded Medicare"and joining Federal employees insurance prog

LOL - as if Medicare is not single payer.

Looks like she is taking the Edwards/Richardson Approach- but with Richardson's flat out expansion of Medicare to 55 before the Edwards "universal" kicks in.

It will be interesting to see the details.

[RC]

2. The federal employees I know have Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

So what is this Federal employees insurance program?

[dsc]

3. they apparently get a choice of several

with the vast majority of the cost covered by taxpayers.

[RC]

4. I wonder if the federal employees know this?

Somehow I doubt it.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Hillary's Republican type proposals on health care will do nothing for us

Talking about vanilla!

Who paid Seth Michaels to write such horseshit about a "stark" contrast between Hillary and Romney? Their proposals are different flavours of the same Kool-Aid!

If you want stark contrast, compare Hillary's pro-industry health care proposal against any other Democratic candidate.