Kerry Vows to Rein in Health Care Premiums

COMMENT: The WashPost and NY Times notice that Kerry's view on health care involves the idea that providing affordable health care is part of the overall economic plan and not separate from it. So beyond ending insurance company rip offs of high risk premiums/costs for "catastrophic" cost above $50,000 via the government paying for this "catastrophic" disaster risk (at a $250 b cost over 10 years), Kerry is today selling the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada plus lower-income worker help through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program(CHIP) expansion, plus the small business portion of the plan that is a tax credit of up to 50 percent of the cost of employees' premiums to help them provide coverage for their low- and moderate-income employees.


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/politics/campaign/11KERR.html

Kerry Vows to Rein in Health Care Premiums
By JODI WILGOREN Published: May 11, 2004

DINBORO, Pa., May 10 — Saying the Bush administration had failed to react to spiraling health care premiums, Senator John Kerry vowed on Monday to cut those costs by about 10 percent, or $1,000, per family.

"Mine is a plan that will cut soaring premiums, cut the waste, cut the greed, and cut Americans a good deal," Mr. Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, told several hundred people, of his proposal to have the federal government assume the responsibility for catastrophic care, a move intended to reduce health insurance costs.

"It's a plan that finally makes our health care affordable, which also makes our businesses all across America more competitive," he said to an audience, which included many nurses and nursing students, at a local university here in Pennsylvania's northwest corner.

With his speech, Mr. Kerry began a four-day focus on health care, reprising proposals he made during the Democratic primary even as Washington and much of the rest of the country remained consumed by the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15745-2004May10.html

Kerry Addresses Health Care Costs

By Jim VandeHei Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 11, 2004; Page A04


EDINBORO, Pa., May 10 -- Sen. John F. Kerry charged Monday that President Bush was ignoring soaring health care costs, as the Democratic presidential candidate launched a week-long campaign to highlight his plan to reduce insurance premiums and extend coverage to 27 million uninsured Americans.

U.S. health care spending has increased by about 10 percent a year since President Bush took office, and the number of people without health care insurance has risen to 43 million. Kerry is promoting a plan designed to cut costs largely by retooling or expanding existing government programs.

Under the Kerry approach, the federal government would pay for the most expensive health expenses, known as catastrophic costs. The plan would also provide tax credits and other benefits to businesses to provide lower-cost coverage to employees and would permit the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada, among other things. The idea is to push prices down by easing pressure in several areas, from business to bureaucracy, simultaneously.<snip>

Kerry's health care plan is easily his most ambitious campaign promise, but it comes with a large price tag: more than $650 billion, and perhaps much more, over the next decade, according to health care experts. The proposal dwarfs the senator's plans to increase spending in other areas, including education and the environment.<snip>

Both candidates believe medical malpractice costs are a big contributor. But Bush would cap some jury awards, while Kerry favors changing the law to make it harder for frivolous cases to make it into the courtroom. The country "needs to weed out the irresponsible lawsuits," Kerry said. He has voted against the GOP medical malpractice changes in recent years.<snip>

:thumbsup:

Don't mean to poo poo all of his plan. But this will reduce my $12,000USD annual premium? How?

If you take the catastrophic cases out of the basic insurance pool of employers, and have them implement wellness type programs, premiums will be reduced.

Don't want it, as it would put an end to their charging extortionist prices.

It is all about enriching the rich in a so called Christian Nation.

Pharmaceuticals--Physicians--Hospitals--HMOs--Dentists etc

Monopoly over health care.

When the people get another Bill Clinton and a fight for single payer it could happen.

Hillary-Ira plan was not proper. They understood it. Few others did.

I read the brochure over and over and still do not comprehend it.

Too cumbersome. Single payer like Medicare and people can comprehend it.

It's not free. Even Dennis' plan is funded by tax dollars and an increased tax on business. A large number of people work for small business owners and they're the ones who can't afford to pay for health insurance as it is.

"Funding for my health plan will come primarily from existing government health care spending (more than $1 trillion) and a phased-in tax on employers of 7.7% (almost $1 trillion). Employers who provide coverage are already paying 8.5%, on average. That would raise about $920 billion. In addition to that, there's already over a trillion dollars being spent a year in local, state and federal dollars for health care."

I'd make the 7.7% be shared by the employer and the employee. 3.85% each wouldn't break anyone, but would cover everyone.

Premiums are just a part of the problem.. People have jobs that pay so little, they cannot afford ANY healthcare insurance..low premiums or not..

Nationalized basic healthcare is the only real solution.. We CAN afford it, our leaders just don't want to "waste" that glorious money on the lowlife citizens of the US..(definition of lowlife = anyone who is not making 50k or more)...

If Dad makes $12 an hour and Mom makes $7 an hour and they have a couple of kids, there is NO WAY they can afford much of an insurance policy for their family....

Companies do not routinely offer insurance these days, and in smaller towns with fewer big companies, it's even harder to find. Unions have pretty much been demonized, and even they are having hard times controlling costs..

EVERY American should have a yearly physical, and basic medical care provided. The repubes would have us think that everyone will become hypochondriacs if they had free care. I have never seen anyone who enjoys going to the doctor...insurance or not..

The pill pushers and behemoth medical groups have a stranglehold on our legislators, and they see their empire in danger of being dismantled..that's the reason they give them so much money.. They are bribing our legislators to insure their own futures..at the expense of the health of our nation..

A nation full of obese people with diabetes and heart disease will not look too "scary".. It's a national defense issue , when you get right down to it. There are KIDS with heart disease because of all the junk they are fed from the time they get teeth.. They end up with the arteries of a 70 yr old by the time they are teens..

A national healthcare system, could prevent a lot of disease..and deliver a healthier populace..

we are still relying on Capitalism as a basis for something that is FUNDAMENTALLY non-capitalist.

Most health-care is NOT elective. We have very little choice. The poorer you are, you have even less choice. Health-care in the U.S is more like an out of control monopoly. They control and manipulate the market... With no (or little) consumer choice in the mix you have the disaster of today.

Single-payer is the ONLY way to go...

That's probably the cost of the uninsured in ER's alone. probably pays for itself. One drawback: Frist and his ilk don't get filthy rich.

Cut out the moneychangers.

How exactly will I be able to vote for this man, when both of my hands will be needed to hold my nose?

Someone please tell Al From and Bob Shrum and James Carville not to go away mad. But just go away.