Here's a blurb on what the party positions toward Health Care tend to be in the United States. I've chosen some helpful paragraphs from different websites and pasted them below.
DEMOCRATS
Bush's Medicare Rx program helps companies more than seniors. (Jul 2004)
Expand coverage and cut healthcare costs. (Jul 2004)
Every American should have affordable health insurance. (Aug 2000)
Add prescription drug benefit to Medicare. (Aug 2000)
Health care and insurance coverage
Democrats call for "affordable and quality health care," and many advocate an expansion of government intervention in this area. Many Democrats favor a national health insurance system in a variety of forms to address the rising costs of modern health insurance. Some Democrats, such as Rep. John Dingell and Senator Edward Kennedy, have called for a program of "Medicare for All."[26]
Some Democratic governors have supported purchasing Canadian drugs, citing lower costs and budget restrictions as a primary incentive. Recognizing that unpaid insurance bills increase costs to the service provider, who passes the cost on to health-care consumers, many Democrats advocate expansion of health insurance coverage.
REPUBLICANS
ABC for AIDS: Abstinence, Be faithful, Change behavior. (Sep 2004)
Ethical research yes; embryo cells no; cloning no. (Sep 2004)
No assisted suicide. (Sep 2004)
Government-run universal health care leads to inefficiencies. (Sep 2004)
A reformed Medicare will give seniors choice, flexibility. (Aug 2000)
Give individuals tools to manage their own health needs. (Aug 2000)
Allow customization of insurance, support health centers. (Aug 2000)
Lawyers should not hold physicians hostage. (Aug 2000)
The party opposes a single-payer universal health care system, such as that found in all other developed countries, referring to it as "socialized medicine" and is in favor of the current personal or employer-based system of insurance, supplemented by Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor. The GOP has a mixed record of supporting the historically popular Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs, all of which Republicans initially opposed. On the one hand, congressional Republicans and the Bush administration supported a reduction in Medicaid's growth rate.[10] On the other hand, congressional Republicans expanded Medicare, supporting a new drug plan for seniors starting 2006.
Since the elections and such are such a hot topic, the following link goes to a page that discusses the candidate's views on health care: http://www.ontheissues.org/News_Medicare_+_Medicaid.htm
The link below is a recent article online that discusses some of the pros and cons of the American Health Care system: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Campaign08/tb1/8856
Question: The linked article above asked citizens if they thought American health care was the best in the world. From what you know about health care do you think our system is the best? Why or what could be changed to make it better?
Please blog about your reactions to these platforms and issues!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Interest Groups
Hi Everyone!
I just thought I would put out some information about some of the interest groups who play a big part in creating policies in our health care system, one of them being the AMA, the American Medical Association. The AMA is the nation’s largest physician’s group that is working to ensure that every American, regardless of race and economic standing, has the health insurance that will allow them to have control over their care and access to doctors. For the AMA’s 2008 policy agenda they have proposed to lawmakers a system of tax credits that allows individuals to purchase health care. The AMA has also urged Congress to fix the current Medicare law that creates cuts in payments to doctors and the group is also seeking reasonable limits to medical lawsuits that are forcing doctors out of work and increasing health care costs. The AMA is currently fighting to prevent legislation that will cut Medicare physician payments by 10 percent which would lead to a reduction in medical staff because physicians would not be able to meet payrolls with such a payment decrease and prevent doctors from being able to invest in medical technology. The AMA has a list of all the current legislation they are involved in at their address: http://capwiz.com/ama/issues .
Families USA is a national non-profit organization that works on the national, state, and community level. Families USA is urging Congress and the President to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and like the AMA is informing the public about President Bush’s budget for health care. They fear that Bush’s budget will create steep cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, provide disproportionate tax breaks for the high income tax payers, and cut programs that aid people who cannot afford health insurance. Families USA is pushing for an alternative plan to this budget that proposes that the government negotiate better drug prices, stop overpaying private Medicare Advantage plans, improve the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and design a refundable tax credit for those in the lower tax brackets. Families USA has also posted their video opposing the President’s budget plan on their website: http://usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.familiesusa.org/
America’s Health Insurance Plan’s, AHIP, is a national association for the healthcare financing industry. Earlier this week AHIP wrote to the House opposing the H.R. 1424, or the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equality Act. AHIP’s reasons being, “we support the Senate approach to mental health parity, S. 558, which was developed with input from consumer groups, employers, health insurance plans, and other stakeholders in this debate. Our letter noted that this approach recognizes the use of appropriate medical management tools to improve the quality and accessibility of behavioral health benefits; focuses on coverage for behavioral health and substance abuse problems, instead of applying broadly to all conditions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); and would allow plans to deliver behavioral health benefits through providers who participate in their medical management and quality improvement programs.” AHIP has also posted a list of health care activity currently going on Washington at: http://usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.hiaa.org/
I just thought I would put out some information about some of the interest groups who play a big part in creating policies in our health care system, one of them being the AMA, the American Medical Association. The AMA is the nation’s largest physician’s group that is working to ensure that every American, regardless of race and economic standing, has the health insurance that will allow them to have control over their care and access to doctors. For the AMA’s 2008 policy agenda they have proposed to lawmakers a system of tax credits that allows individuals to purchase health care. The AMA has also urged Congress to fix the current Medicare law that creates cuts in payments to doctors and the group is also seeking reasonable limits to medical lawsuits that are forcing doctors out of work and increasing health care costs. The AMA is currently fighting to prevent legislation that will cut Medicare physician payments by 10 percent which would lead to a reduction in medical staff because physicians would not be able to meet payrolls with such a payment decrease and prevent doctors from being able to invest in medical technology. The AMA has a list of all the current legislation they are involved in at their address: http://capwiz.com/ama/issues .
Families USA is a national non-profit organization that works on the national, state, and community level. Families USA is urging Congress and the President to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and like the AMA is informing the public about President Bush’s budget for health care. They fear that Bush’s budget will create steep cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, provide disproportionate tax breaks for the high income tax payers, and cut programs that aid people who cannot afford health insurance. Families USA is pushing for an alternative plan to this budget that proposes that the government negotiate better drug prices, stop overpaying private Medicare Advantage plans, improve the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and design a refundable tax credit for those in the lower tax brackets. Families USA has also posted their video opposing the President’s budget plan on their website: http://usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.familiesusa.org/
America’s Health Insurance Plan’s, AHIP, is a national association for the healthcare financing industry. Earlier this week AHIP wrote to the House opposing the H.R. 1424, or the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equality Act. AHIP’s reasons being, “we support the Senate approach to mental health parity, S. 558, which was developed with input from consumer groups, employers, health insurance plans, and other stakeholders in this debate. Our letter noted that this approach recognizes the use of appropriate medical management tools to improve the quality and accessibility of behavioral health benefits; focuses on coverage for behavioral health and substance abuse problems, instead of applying broadly to all conditions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); and would allow plans to deliver behavioral health benefits through providers who participate in their medical management and quality improvement programs.” AHIP has also posted a list of health care activity currently going on Washington at: http://usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.hiaa.org/
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