Health Care Plans of the Presidential Candidates

[Guest guest]

http://arthritis.about.com/od/insuranceandmoneymatters/a/healthcareplans.htm

A close look at the Kerry- Health Care Plan

.... STRENGTHEN MEDICARE

--Create a real Medicare drug benefit, a meaningful and affordable drug

benefit for Medicare recipients; run by Medicare, not by private insurance

companies that charge seniors and disabled whatever they want. In the last

year alone, prescription drug prices have gone up 17 percent. The current

Medicare bill allows drug companies to change their prices and plans

although seniors/disabled can only change their card once a year.

--Kerry and are opposed to forcing seniors into HMOs for the purpose

of getting prescription drugs or affordable premiums.

--Cuts prescription drug costs: by requiring the Secretary of Health and

Human Services to negotiate better prices for prescription drugs; allows for

reimportation of safe, FDA-approved drugs so Americans have access to the

discounts on medications made available in Canada and other countries;

requires transparency rules for Pharmacy Benefit Managers that do business

with the Federal government to reveal their profits from the drug industry

and bulk purchasing; helps states provide discounts to other populations by

giving them incentives to implement more efficient contracting to obtain

better rates for prescription drugs.

Kerry- plan addresses the needs of seniors living in nursing homes

and ensures quality care through adequare inspections and better training

for health care workers. Their plan also protects Medicaid from politicians

wanting to block grant the program. Their program allows for Medicaid to pay

for alternative care options, meaning more people could live comfortably in

their homes with the freedom they crave. The Kerry- plan also

supports caregivers (both paid and unpaid, formal and informal)who provide

the bulk of support for those with long-term care needs.

STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY

--Their idea: Grow the ecomony. A larger ecomony would be in a better

position to pay for an increasing number of retired persons.

--Kerry- see Social Security as a broader fiscal challenge facing the

country. They plan to cut the deficit in half and restore fiscal discipline

in Washington.

--Use a bipartisan process to carve out successful reform.

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS

--They have a plan which will: cut family premiums by up to $1000/year for

American workers; cover 26.7 million Americans who are currently uninsured;

cover 95% of all Americans; cover every child. How does it happen? By

extending state-based programs the Kerry- plan picks up the full cost

of coverage for more than 20 million children enrolled in Medicaid. In

exchange, states would expand coverage for families up to 200 percent of

poverty and for childless adults up to 100 percent of poverty.

--The Kerry- plan would give all Americans access to the same

affordable plans currently available to members of Congress.

--Kerry- will help reduce medical malpractice premiums, requiring a

qualified specialist to certify the merit of a case before it moves forward.

Frivolous lawsuits would result in punishment.

--Kerry- will cut taxes to make health insurance more affordable: 25%

credit for seniors aged 55-64 whose salaries fall below 300 percent of

poverty; 75% credit for people between jobs and whose salaries fall below

300 percent of poverty; credit up to 50% for small businesses that cover

low-to-moderate income workers; credit for workers not eligible for other

provisions under the plan.

--Cut administrative costs by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse: about 25

percent of health care cost goes to non-medical costs, mostly paperwork. A

single transaction can cost as much as $12 to $25 whereas in the banking

industry a transaction costs less than a penny. Kerry- are striving

to save billions every year by utilizing available technology to streamline

the paperwork; also ensuring Americans have private and secure medical

records by 2008; requiring private sector insurers to use advanced systems.

QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR ALL

--Kerry and also support a Patients' Bill of Rights to protect

Americans from HMO decisions that harm patients by denying them medically

necessary care. They support an end to minority health disparities; ensure

mental health parity; improve women's health; ensure freedom, independence,

and choices for Americans with Disabilities.

Kerry and are also focused on responding to the AIDS crisis and to

supporting Stem Cell Research in an attempt to find cures for debilitating

diseases.

Look for our upcoming article on the Bush/Cheney Health Care Plan and a very

important report on the pivotal issue of Stem Cell Research.