where they stand

Tue., Oct. 12, 2004

The Spokesman-Review

Where the candidates stand on health care
President George Bush, Republican	Sen. John Kerry, Democrat	Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho	Scott McClure, Democrat for Senate	Rep. C.L. “Butch” Otter, R-Idaho	Naomi Preston, Democrat for House
Supports expanded health savings accounts with greater tax credits for low-income families, expanded community health centers, discounts for drug purchases for seniors, buying pools and other tax credits to offer coverage to employees of small businesses, medical liability reform and allowing consumers to buy insurance from other states.	Give small businesses tax credits to cover half of premiums for poorer workers, allow individuals to buy into Congressional Health Plan. Create federal pool to cover catastrophic costs. Federal government should negotiate lower drug prices, bring generic drugs to market faster, allow importation of U.S.-approved drugs from Canada. Lift ban on stem cell research.	Quality health care should be accessible to all. The federal government should work toward an enhanced market-oriented system of health care. I do not support socialized or nationalized medicine, as that will ultimately result in a lower quality of medical care. But we should make efforts to control spiraling costs and extend coverage for un- and under-insured individuals.	First we must address tort reform. Errors and omissions costs are choking our medical professionals. And we must address the desperate situation of middle-aged men and women who do not have health insurance. They must be provided access to drugs and medical care deemed necessary to treat life-threatening conditions.	I support allowing a refundable credit against income tax for purchasing private health insurance, tax incentives for families to care for loved ones, and Health Savings Accounts enabling individuals to purchase the health care they need. I also have co-sponsored legislation setting litigation deadlines, limiting punitive damages and outlining allowable recovery amounts for injured patients in medical malpractice cases.	To address costs, the federal government must negotiate lower drug prices, bring generic drugs to market faster, and allow importation of drugs from Canada. To improve access, give small businesses tax credits for workers’ health premiums, and allow individuals to buy into Congressional Health Plan. Work toward developing national health plan.

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