Edwards had the best healthcare plan. Would Obama or Clinton consider it if elected?

[ursi]

I'm serious. It was the best healthcare plan. It covered everyone.

No matter what, I can't seem to find the same merits in either of the Super Two Candidates.

It's depressing.

http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/health-care/

[Yael]

1. I agree

It would be nice to see someone take the policy and run with it in either the house or the senate.

[papau]

2. Edwards said the Clinton plan was a clone of his plan

[liberalpragmatist]

3. The Clinton plan is virtually identical

And the Obama plan is very similar as well, the only difference (a significant one) being the lack of a mandate.

[Yossariant]

7. Another significant difference is that her plan costs about $2700 per

newly insured person while Obama's plan costs about $4,400 per newly insured person.

Her plan achieves more or less universal coverage while his plan costs 80% more and covers only half of the currently uninsured.

[sandnsea]

4. Which specifics do you like?

The part where he implements the entire program before he forces people to pay premiums that we aren't sure they can afford? That's my favorite part.

Seriously, be specific because otherwise it's impossible to compare. There are things I like about all the proposals.

[ursi]

5. I don't see that the other two were going to utilize a system similar to Medicare

do you know if that is true or not for Clinton or Obama?

Of course, people pay. How do we pay for Medicare/Medicaid?

Part of my problem is that I have some close friends, Dems, who are very discouraged about Edwards dropping out. They are small business owners who are trying to get out of their company plan as they are selling the company. They are not old enough for Medicare. One of them has a very serious pre-existing condition that appears to preclude them for getting into any other private plan. They had put alot of hope into Edwards as his healthcare plan seemed the most fair. They don't think the other TWO have a plan that will work for people like them.

I keep thinking about what Michael Moore said about Edwards healthcare plan ...

Healthcare is going to be complicated, no matter what.

[sandnsea]

11. Obama regulates insurance companies

So as to your friends, every insurance company will have to accept people regardless of pre-existing conditions.

"The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and have the same standards for quality and efficiency."

The "new public plan" will have a "benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have."

The key difference is real subsidies, not subsidies for "tax credits" which is what Hillary offers.

"Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance will receive an income-related federal subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan."

It's not single payer, but it's pretty good. It does a lot of regulating of the insurance industry as well.

[Tektonik]

6. Kucinich has the best healthcare plan

[jackson_dem]

8. Will he work to get it out for a vote now that he isn't running for president?

Or does he know there will never be a vote on it?

[ursi]

9. good question on Kucinich ...

[slipslidingaway]

14. Kucinich has said repeatedly that this is a fight within the

Democratic Party, it is being blocked by those who do not want to remove the insurance company from the equation. Too bad Edwards did not join the fight for single-payer, not for profit health care.

Maybe Edwards could take up the cause now that he is not running and build support from the ground up.

:shrug:

Health Care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOB0f3I1AXk

[ashling]

10. As an Edwards supporter I will

readily admit that Kucinich had the best healthcare plan.

[slipslidingaway]

12. Edwards said Clinton copied his plan. n/t

[CK_John]

13. It will be up to Congress and plans are just starting proposals to the

Congress.

[Cleita]

15. The plan we need has already been introduced into

Congress by John Conyers, H. R. 676. It's in committee now. It's an improved Medicare that covers everyone and the bureacracy to run it is already in place so it would be very easy to implement. We need to get Obama and Clinton to get behind this plan as the least costly, the most comprehensive and most easily implemented.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:h676ih.txt.pdf

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-676

[housewolf]

16. Some Economists for Edwards to Endorse Obama - re: health care policy

I just read this earlier tonight:

Some Economists for Edwards to Endorse Obama

I am jumping the gun as this has not yet been publicly announced, but on Sunday about half of the former group, "Economists for Edwards," agreed at the urging of James Galbraith and Clyde Prestowitz to endorse Barack Obama for president. A condition of this, which I insisted on as a condition for signing on, was that it be made clear in our statement that we would be working to change some of Obama's policy positions, particularly on health care and social security, to become more like those supported by Edwards. There was considerable debate in the group on all this, and about half are not signing on.

more...
http://econospeak.blogspot.com/2008/02/some-economists-for-edwards-to-endorse.html#links

[papau]

17. Why make your headline a lie?-those folks said they were insisting on changing Obama health care-not

endorsing his health care plan