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Angus King on Health Care
Independent Former ME Governor
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Transition to wellness-based prevention system
Q: How would you put Medicare on stronger financial ground and protect today's seniors and future retirees from the burden of rising health costs?
A: I believe the long-term answer for Medicare.is to transition away from our current fee-for-service system toward one that pays healthcare providers for keeping us well instead of only treating us when we are sick.
This means more emphasis on primary case and prevention rather than only paying for procedures. In fact, a pilot program to do just this is now getting underway in the Bangor area under the leadership of Eastern Maine Health.
A second change to current Medicare policy which would help substantially with its finances would be to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.
Source: Bangor Daily News in 2012 AARP Senate Voter Guide
, Aug 24, 2012
ObamaCare was not ambitious enough
King supports President Obama's health care law, in addition to not saying which party he would support to lead the Senate. He thinks the health care law was not ambitious enough. He opposes the prescription for
Medicare in the House Republicans' budget as "a recipe for a tremendous shift to the elderly of their health care costs."
Source: New York Times, "Senate Control Could Hinge on Angus"
, May 6, 2012
Fund prevention programs “Campaign for a Healthy Maine”
A substantial portion of the health care bill in Maine is avoidable, because it relates to health care costs we bring on ourselves - through choices about the way we live. Four chronic diseases - cardiovascular and lung disease, cancer, and diabetes-
all related to smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet- kill 75% of Maine people. I propose that we use the money received from the national tobacco settlement primarily for a Campaign for a Healthy Maine, an initiative which empowers state agencies,
communities, schools, and health care providers to effectively address this chronic disease epidemic [focusing on]:- Prevention and cessation of smoking in Maine, especially among our young people.
- Promoting prevention measures within our
schools and our communities.
- Alcohol and substance abuse prevention.
- A new psychiatric treatment center and investments in community mental health that will improve the delivery of these critical services.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Maine legislature
, Jan 24, 2001
No federal pre-emption of employee health plan regulation.
King adopted the National Governors Association position paper:
The Issue
In 1999, 42.6 million Americans did not have health insurance. All states have been fervently working to reduce the number of uninsured Americans, to make health insurance more affordable and secure, and to provide quality health care at a reasonable cost to the uninsured. However, the federal government has also expressed an interest in this issue. Any action taken at the federal level could have serious implications for traditional state authority to regulate the health insurance industry and protect consumers. NGA’s Position
Although the Governors are extremely sensitive to the concerns of large multi-state employers, the fact remains that the complete federal preemption of state laws relating to employee health plans in the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is the greatest single barrier to many state reform and patient protection initiatives.
The Governors support efforts designed to enable small employers to join together to participate more effectively in the health insurance market. In fact, Governors have taken the lead in facilitating the development of such partnerships and alliances. However, these partnerships must be carefully structured and regulated by state agencies in order to protect consumers and small businesses from fraud and abuse and underinsurance. NGA opposes attempts to expand federal authority under ERISA. The Governors have identified the prevention of such federal legislation in the 107th Congress as a top legislative priority.
States have the primary responsibility for health insurance regulation. Across the nation, Governors are working to protect consumers and patients and to properly regulate the complicated health insurance industry.
Source: National Governors Association "Issues / Positions" 01-NGA13 on Oct 5, 2001
Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure.
King adopted a letter to Congressional leaders from 53 Governors:
As you know, preserving and protecting the state tobacco settlement funds is the nation’s Governors’ highest priority. We strongly urge you to reach final agreement and pass the conference report on the emergency supplemental appropriations bill soon, and to retain the Senate provision that protects our settlement funds from federal seizure.
Many of our state legislatures are currently in session, and some have already completed work on their budgets. Therefore, it is critical that conferees reach agreement quickly on this issue. Governors are unified in their commitment to ensuring that the funds remain in the states and that there be no restrictions on states’ ability to tailor spending to meet the needs of their citizens.
We offer our strongest support for conferees to recede to the Senate version of the bill containing the Hutchison/Graham bipartisan tobacco recoupment protection legislation.
Source: National Governor's Association letter to Congress 99-NGA31 on Apr 14, 1999
Page last updated: Apr 21, 2013
