Al Franken on Health Care

Full funding for state-based coverage, but not single payer

A single-payer system would be the most effective in terms of reducing administrative costs. But I believe that today's political environment requires a flexible approach to covering every American. Here's mine:

I would require every state to cover every one of its citizens, & the federal government to provide funding to fulfill that requirement.
Each state must cover every child 18 & under with a single-payer system similar to Medicare.

Make Medicare a true single-payer system. Source: Campaign website, www.alfranken.com, "Issues" Mar 9, 2008

Universal health care as soon as possible

We need to go to universal health care as soon as possible. Health care is at the center of almost every public policy issue--from veterans' affairs to small business to personal finances (nearly half of all bankruptcies are caused by a medical crisis in the family). Access to affordable health care should come with living in the world's richest, most advanced nation. But during the Bush administration, the number of Americans living without health insurance has grown from 39.8 million to 46.6 Source: Campaign website, www.alfranken.com, "Issues" Mar 9, 2008

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Page last updated: 3/31/2008