What changes, if any, would you make in our health care system?
The News Leader - www.newsleader.com - Staunton, Va.
America spends a greater proportion of its GNP on health care than any other industrial nation, but our health care outcomes for almost all individual metrics are worse than most or all other industrial nations. What changes, if any, would you make in our [health care system?]
George AllenI have consistently worked for new and innovative ways to control health care costs, while still ensuring quality health services for Americans. I have introduced legislation to increase the amount of money individuals and their employers can contribute to their Health Savings Accounts each year (HSAs). I also support the establishment of Small Business Health Plans (SBHPs), which help small business owners provide quality, affordable health insurance to their employees. By providing more choices for health insurance through HSAs and SBHPs, we will make substantial progress in addressing the ever-rising costs of health care in America. In addition, I introduced the “Long-Term Care Act,” which will allow individuals to use their 401(k) dollars to help pay for long-term care insurance. Also, I support passage of comprehensive medical liability reform legislation to ensure that Virginians and Americans have access to crucial medical care.
Why? Why is this the problem of the federal government. The government needs to get out of the way of the private market on this one. Some of the increased costs we’re seeing in the health care industry are coming from the government trying to regulate it. Government is mandating that you must provide X, Y, and Z coverage to your empoyees to businesses. What if the employees don’t want coverage for X? They can’t opt out of it to save themselves some money. For example, I already have 5 kids, and I’ve been clipped. I don’t need any kind of maternity coverage for my wife, so why should I be forced to buy it through my employer?
Gail Parker
Everyone in American should have ready access to affordable health care insurance. Building Rail in Virginia will create good paying jobs for Virginians that will have health care benefits.
This issue highlights why we need more folks to run for office. Join us and run for office in 2007. We need 100 candidates across Virginia to run for the General Assembly, 40 candidates across Virginia to run for state senate, and any number of candidates to run for local office. Join us and run as our candidate.
Ok, how does this in any way address the question? The single-mindedness here is staggering, but at least she doesn’t have any plans to regulate anything in this area, which appears to put her above the other candidates.
Jim Webb
First by growing up in a military family and then as a consequence of having been wounded in Vietnam I have had the privilege of using the military health care system my whole life. The care and service the military provides is top notch. I believe that all Americans deserve access to some form of quality health care. Health care legislation should focus on providing people access to health care, not simply on corporate profits.
America is the richest nation on Earth, and as such all Americans should have access to affordable health care. I think we can implement programs that allow all Americans to participate in a pooling system based on the federal Employees Health Benefits Program. This can reduce the cost of health care and ensure greater portability in the coverage people can afford. It is also important to help ensure access to insurance for many of the 46 million uninsured Americans. That is why I think the government should give assistance to people earning up to 300% of the poverty level.
Yee haw, can you say socialized medicine boys and girls, I knew you could. Just look at how well it works in Canada and the UK. Year long waits for orthoscopic surgeries. Is that what we really want?