“We need to go to universal health care as soon as possible.
Health care is at the center of almost every public policy issue – from veterans’ affairs to small
business to personal finances (nearly half of all bankruptcies are caused by a medical crisis in the
family). Access to affordable health care should come with living in the world’s richest, most
advanced nation.
But during the Bush administration, the number of Americans living without health insurance has
grown from 39.8 million in 2000 to 46.6 million as of the most recent Census Bureau data (2005).
That includes 21.5 million people who work full time.
Especially disturbing is that the number of children without health insurance actually grew to 8.3
million in 2005. Children who lack health insurance are more likely to miss school and 70% less
likely to get treated for an ear infection.
Overall, we spend 16% of our GDP on health care – nobody else spends more than 11%. Yet every
other industrialized country insures 100% of its people, while we leave tens of millions without
coverage. We spend 34% of our health care dollars on administrative costs – nobody else spends
more than 19%. And in the most recent ranking by the World Health Organization, the U.S. ranked
37th, right between Costa Rica and Slovenia.
Here’s where I stand:
We need to go to universal health care.
A single-payer system would be the most effective in terms of reducing administrative costs, and I
would be thrilled to support such a system. But I believe that today’s political environment requires a
creative and flexible approach to covering every American. Here’s mine:
I would require every state to cover every one of its citizens, and the federal government to provide
funding to fulfill that requirement. Each individual state would be free to offer a variety of options, as
long as they add up to universal coverage, giving us 51 laboratories (if you count DC) to figure out
which system works best.
I would add one constraint: each state must cover every child 18 and under with a single-payer
system similar to Medicare.
And speaking of Medicare, I would fight to make Medicare a true single-payer system. Right now,
we overpay insurance companies, who then turn around and cherry-pick only the healthiest seniors to
cover. That’s not fair and we should change it.
But universal coverage isn’t enough. We must also address the quality and cost of care. I think we
should start with the following measures:
Medicare should be allowed to negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies for lower prices on
prescription drugs.
Simple, secure, electronic medical records would cut down on errors and streamline care.
We should establish safe staffing levels for nurses – when the people on the front lines of health care
tell us that they need reinforcements to maintain their high standards of care, we should listen.
We should pass Paul Wellstone’s bill ensuring full mental health parity”.
Health care is at the center of almost every public policy issue – from veterans’ affairs to small
business to personal finances (nearly half of all bankruptcies are caused by a medical crisis in the
family). Access to affordable health care should come with living in the world’s richest, most
advanced nation.
But during the Bush administration, the number of Americans living without health insurance has
grown from 39.8 million in 2000 to 46.6 million as of the most recent Census Bureau data (2005).
That includes 21.5 million people who work full time.
Especially disturbing is that the number of children without health insurance actually grew to 8.3
million in 2005. Children who lack health insurance are more likely to miss school and 70% less
likely to get treated for an ear infection.
Overall, we spend 16% of our GDP on health care – nobody else spends more than 11%. Yet every
other industrialized country insures 100% of its people, while we leave tens of millions without
coverage. We spend 34% of our health care dollars on administrative costs – nobody else spends
more than 19%. And in the most recent ranking by the World Health Organization, the U.S. ranked
37th, right between Costa Rica and Slovenia.
Here’s where I stand:
We need to go to universal health care.
A single-payer system would be the most effective in terms of reducing administrative costs, and I
would be thrilled to support such a system. But I believe that today’s political environment requires a
creative and flexible approach to covering every American. Here’s mine:
I would require every state to cover every one of its citizens, and the federal government to provide
funding to fulfill that requirement. Each individual state would be free to offer a variety of options, as
long as they add up to universal coverage, giving us 51 laboratories (if you count DC) to figure out
which system works best.
I would add one constraint: each state must cover every child 18 and under with a single-payer
system similar to Medicare.
And speaking of Medicare, I would fight to make Medicare a true single-payer system. Right now,
we overpay insurance companies, who then turn around and cherry-pick only the healthiest seniors to
cover. That’s not fair and we should change it.
But universal coverage isn’t enough. We must also address the quality and cost of care. I think we
should start with the following measures:
Medicare should be allowed to negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies for lower prices on
prescription drugs.
Simple, secure, electronic medical records would cut down on errors and streamline care.
We should establish safe staffing levels for nurses – when the people on the front lines of health care
tell us that they need reinforcements to maintain their high standards of care, we should listen.
We should pass Paul Wellstone’s bill ensuring full mental health parity”.
| Republican Senate Candidate Jack Shepard positions on Issues are 100 % similar to Democratic Senate Candidate Al Franken Healthcare |