Important Health Care Issues

Health Care and Elections

With the presidential election coming up in November 2004, an examination of recent public opinion data as well as historical trends can give some insight into the potential role health care might play as an election issue. More...

- CNN: Healthcare Issues with Candidates

- Election 2004: Hot Button Issues (inlcuding health care)

- 2004: The Year Ahead in Health on the Hill

- Side-by-Side Summary of Presidential Candidates’ Proposals for Expanding Health Insurance Coverage

- Wall Street Journal Examines Differences Between Bush, Kerry Health Care Proposals [Jul 08, 2004]

The Wall Street Journal looked at the "strikingly different ways" President Bush and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) plan to achieve "similar goals for American health care." Although both candidates endorse a few proposals that have "obvious and uncontroversial merit," such as increasing the health care industry's utilization of information technology, their plans' "differences are steep" in other areas, the Journal reports. For example, "unleashing the forces of competition" is a "key" theme in Bush's plan, while Kerry "isn't so sure that competition will suffice" and calls for greater government action in the health care market, according to the Journal.

Bush Plan Details
Bush's two-element plan is "more radical than is generally understood," the Journal reports (Wessel, Wall Street Journal, 7/8). Bush's plan would cost about $90.5 billion over 10 years and would extend health coverage to an estimated 2.1 million people (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/28). One element of Bush's plan, which he "hasn't pushed very hard," would provide tax credits to help people who do not have employer-sponsored health coverage obtain coverage individually, the Journal reports. The other element of Bush's plan would provide tax breaks to people who buy high-deductible health insurance plans and deposit money in Health Savings Accounts to pay for health care not covered by their health plans. Bush also would introduce "big changes" to the current medical malpractice system, including caps on damages plaintiffs can receive. According to the Journal, Bush's proposals "anticipate a big change in the current system: a bigger, more efficient market for individuals -- as opposed to employers -- to buy health insurance than we have today." Bush said, "Under the system that currently exists, consumers don't really know how far their health care dollars are going. You pay your premium and then you just show up and collect the benefits," adding, "When consumers don't have the incentive to get better prices, costs go up."

Kerry Plan Details
According to the Journal, Kerry "opts for raging incrementalism" in his health care plan (Wall Street Journal, 7/8). Kerry's plan would cost an about $653 billion over 10 years and expand coverage to an estimated 26.7 million people. Kerry has said that he would finance his health care proposal by repealing tax cuts for families whose annual incomes exceed $200,000. The plan would offer tax credits to people who purchase private health insurance and would transfer to the federal government from private businesses a share of the costs of treating catastrophic illnesses (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/28). By sharing some of those costs, Kerry hopes employers will be "lure[d]" to make changes to their health plans that would reduce overall health care costs, the Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 7/8). Kerry's plan also would expand existing government health programs, including Medicaid, and permit individuals and small businesses to buy into the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/28). His plan also endorses some procedural changes to medical malpractice law and supports the government using its purchasing power to negotiate prescription drug prices. Kerry said, "This is a health care plan that can pass" (Wall Street Journal, 7/8).

Multimedia Coverage
CBS' "Evening News" on Wednesday as part of the "What Does it Mean to You?" series about the presidential candidates' stances on major issues, reported on how health care reform proposals by Bush and Kerry would help small businesses provide health care benefits to their workers. The segment includes comments from Bill Miller of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and small business owners (Mason, "Evening News," CBS, 7/7). The complete transcript is available online. The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.