PAHF E-Letter

--January 2008--

Though I am sure none of us are one-issue voters, I thought you'd enjoy a quick summary of the candidates' stated positions on Health Care. (From the MSNBC site, 1/24/08)

-- Shay

Candidate	Party	Health Care Position
Clinton	D	Promises universal health care by the end of a second term; in the meantime, she proposes expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act and the use of electronic records, barring insurers from rejecting patients with pre-existing conditions and negotiating drug prices under Medicare.
Obama	D	Promises to reform the private insurance market to promote competition in pricing and quality. He proposes a national health plan to cover people without private or workplace access to insurance and would require that all children have health insurance.
Giuliani	R	Dismisses mandatory universal health care coverage as "socialized medicine" and promises to help move more Americans into private insurance through a $15,000 tax deduction and use of health savings accounts.
Huckabee	R	Opposes universal health care coverage and promotes major spending on preventative medicine to drive down treatment costs. He would move more Medicare recipients into managed care and seek to cap damages that can be awarded in malpractice suits.
McCain	R	Has not made health care a major issue in his campaign. He opposes mandated universal health coverage and instead favors incremental steps like expanding community health centers and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, creating tax incentives for low-income Americans and promoting health savings accounts.
Ron Paul	R	Endorses free-market health insurance alternatives and abolition of Medicare. He accuses the Food and Drug Administration of endangering Americans by enforcing international regulations on nutrients and health care providers and would limit it authority.
Romney	R	Calls for all Americans to have coverage without a government mandate, placing the responsibility on the individual. He would mandate insurace for individuals and employers, set minimum coverage requirements, subsidize coverage for low-income Americans and levy fines for noncompliance.