Health Care Plans: Kerry, Lieberman, and Edwards

John Edward's Health Care Plan:

Lieberman wants a health care system that is effective enough to pass but not to radical like a single-payer system. Eventually, though, he would like to see his system evolve into a single-payer system. On the other hand, John Edwards’ plan is similar to Lieberman’s by having the focus on insuring children, but he has not stated that he would eventually agree with a complete universal health care system. Furthermore, Lieberman's plan gives parents a choice to enroll their children, but Edwards' plan requires it. Edwards has outlined a 4 step approach to making sure children have the health insurance they need:

1. Parents will have the responsibility and be required to insure their children, but in return will gain refundable tax credits and the convenience of automatic enrolment through tax returns or school enrolment. The tax credits can be used to help pay the premiums for insurance offered through employers. Edwards claims that no family of four making less than $60,000/yr will have to pay more than $1 per day to insure their child.

2. Subsidies will be given to help modest income earners (up to 46,000/yr) afford insurance and small businesses will be given the opportunity to join a state insurance pool which gives the small businesses the opportunity to mimic a large company when obtaining insurance for their employers.

3. Control costs and improve quality by keeping strict guidelines on prescription drug companies, implementing a standardized electronic patient records system, reduce malpractice premiums, and support nurses with government education funds.

4. Protect health care by supporting clinics, along with helping hospitals with large numbers of low-income patients, and working with states to improve Medicare.

So far Kucinich, Braun, Sharpton, and Lieberman are all leaning toward a universal health care system which would eventually eliminate insurance companies from the health care business. Dean, Edwards, Gephardt, and Kerry feel the system can be fixed without a dramatic sweep of the system, but more of a fine tuning. What about Lyndon H. Larouche Jr. and Wesley Clark? Find out more on their plans here.

The Complete 2004 Heath Care Series:
2004 Election: Universal Health Care and Your Insurance
Gephardt's Plan
Kucinich's Plan
Dean's Plan
Kerry's Plan
Lieberman's Plan
Edwards' Plan
Larouche's Plan
Clark's Plan
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