Be Prepared for '08: WomenMatter Looks at Healthcare

WomenMatter has identified four criteria that are essential to healthcare: Choice, Access, Cost, and Quality. Any successful healthcare plan must have an approach to each of these points. Take a look at the candidate’s proposals through this framework to get a clearer understanding of which plan will work best for you.

When campaign season kicks into gear, clichés about political parties fly –and the philosophies behind policy prescriptions can get oversimplified. Our research shows that women believe in both individual responsibility and collective responsibility. Take a look at the philosophies behind the candidates’ plans and see where the responsibility lies.

WomenMatter takes a close look at Senator Hilary Clinton’s recently announced plan to see how it approaches each critical category- and answers criticisms to the plan she designed in ’93. President Clinton’s national health plan was killed in Congress and no representative has dared to attempt universal coverage since.

Choice

Hillary Clinton- Hillary Clinton’s health proposal allows Americans to preserve their existing coverage or choose from a “menu” of coverage options. Further, her plan offers coverage to the 47 million people in the United States without insurance and the tens of millions more who are at risk of losing coverage.

• Take note: Clinton’s plan offers the Same Choice of Health Plan Options that Members of Congress receive, which includes mental health and dental coverage. Americans under 65 can also choose a public plan option similar to Medicare.

Access

Hillary Clinton- To Clinton, Access is Security. The plan ensures that job loss or family illnesses will never lead to a loss of coverage or exorbitant costs.

Clinton says she will increase access by lowering costs. She says by focusing on prevention, efficiency and modernization, the plan will improve quality and lower costs.

• Take note: Clinton says she will end unfair health insurance discrimination by creating uniform insurance rules across states and markets. Cost: Insurance works because healthy and sick people pay into the same pool. The ill and elderly use most of the benefits and the young and healthy support those benefits.

Insurance and drug companies also determine cost.

Hillary Clinton- Clinton’s plan won’t allow insurance companies to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions or expectations of illness. Working families will receive a refundable tax credit to help them afford high-quality health coverage.

• Take note: Clinton looks at cost in terms of individuals, employers, and government. Individuals will be required to get and keep insurance and not use the emergency room as their only access to care. Employers will help finance the system; large employers will be expected to provide health insurance or contribute to the cost of coverage: small businesses will receive a tax credit to continue or begin to offer coverage. Government will provide tax credits designed to prevent premiums from exceeding a percentage of family income.

Quality

Hillary Clinton- Clinton says she will strengthen Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance to make sure that children and the elderly receive quality care.

Sign onto the WomenMatter Healthcare Wiki TODAY

WomenMatter will track healthcare throughout the campaign, using the four criteria that our research has show are essential to good healthcare: Choice, Access, Cost, and Quality. Use this framework to take a closer look at any and every of the candidates’ proposals- and get a good idea of which one you believe is best.

Of course, each one of us looks at healthcare through the lens of our unique personal experience, as well. Women know ‘what works.’ And we know that we learn through others’ experiences. So get on the WomenMatter healthcare wiki, at www.womenmatterwiki.com, share you expertise with other women, and make your voice heard in the national policy debate!

About WomenMatter

WomenMatter is a place to discuss life issues with other women. We don't want to wedge women apart, but rather bring them together to dialogue.

WomenMatter is the place where we can take one issue at a time, match what we do about it every day of our lives to the facts of the bigger system that we all live in and recognize that every idea for making it better has tradeoffs.

WomenMatter is dedicated to engaging women in the political process. To do this we have invested in the most in-depth NONPARTISAN information, because we trust each woman to make up her own mind.

• We track nine issues every week and update this website several times a week.
• We do continuous research to make sure that we are meeting the needs of women across the country of all ages, races, incomes, preferences, and religions.
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