|
George W. Bush on Health Care
President of the United States, Former Republican Governor (TX)
|
FactCheck: British blocked flu vaccine, not Bush
BUSH: We relied upon a company out of England to provide about half of the flu vaccines for the US, and it turned out that the vaccine they were producing was contaminated. And so we took the right action and didn't allow contaminated medicine into our
country.FACT CHECK: It's not true, as Bush claimed, that "we took the right action" in blocking "contaminated" influenza vaccine from entering the US. Actually, it was the British and not the US that blocked shipment. The British Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, according to an Oct. 6 news release, suspended the license of Chiron Corp., the manufacturer of approximately 50% of the US supply. In fact, the Bush administration seems to have been caught by surprise when Chiron
Corp. notified the US Center for Disease Control Oct. 5 that the company wouldn't be shipping the vaccine due to the British action. The US Food & Drug Administration didn't begin an investigation until five days later, according to an FDA news release .
Source: Analysis of Third Bush-Kerry debate (FactCheck.org)
Oct 14, 2004
I haven't gotten a flu shot, and I don't intend to
Q: Suddenly we find ourselves with a severe shortage of flu vaccine. How did that happen? BUSH: We relied upon a company out of England to provide about half of the flu vaccines for US citizens, and it turned out that the vaccine they were producing
was contaminated. And so we took the right action and didn't allow contaminated medicine into our country. We're working with Canada to help us [get the] vaccines necessary. My call to our fellow Americans is if you're healthy, if you're younger, don't
get a flu shot this year. Help us prioritize those who need to get the flu shot, the elderly and the young. I haven't gotten a flu shot, and I don't intend to because I want to make sure those who are most vulnerable get treated.
KERRY:
This really underscores the problem with the American health-care system. It's not working for the American family. And it's gotten worse under President Bush over the course of the last years.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry Debate, in Tempe Arizona
Oct 13, 2004
Kerry's health care plan is an empty promise
KERRY: Bush has turned his back on the wellness of America. And there is no system. In fact, it's starting to fall apart not because of lawsuits, though they are a problem and John Edwards and I are committed to fixing them, but because of the larger
issue that we don't cover Americans. Children across our country don't have health care. We're the richest country on the face of the planet, the only industrialized nation in the world not to do it. I have a plan to cover all Americans.
We're going to make it affordable and accessible, and let everybody buy into the same health care plan senators and congressmen give themselves.BUSH: A plan is not a litany of complaints and not to lay out programs that you can't pay for.
The same plan that senators and congressmen get costs the government $7,700 per family. If every family in America signed up like the senator suggested it would cost us $5 trillion over 10 years. It's an empty promise. It's called bait and switch.
Source: [Xref Kerry] Third Bush-Kerry Debate, in Tempe Arizona
Oct 13, 2004
The US healthcare system is the envy of the world
The Lewin report accurately noted that there are going to be over 20 million people added to government-controlled health care. It would be the largest increase in government health care ever. If you raise the Medicaid to 300 percent, it provides an
incentive for small businesses not to provide private insurance to their employees. It's estimated that 8 million people will go from private insurance to government insurance. We have a fundamental difference of opinion. I think government-run health
will lead to poor-quality health, will lead to rationing, will lead to less choice. Once a health-care program ends up in a line item in the federal government budget, it leads to more controls. And just look at other countries that have tried to have
federally controlled health care. They have poor-quality health care. Our health-care system is the envy of the world because we believe in making sure that the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by officials in the nation's capital.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
Oct 13, 2004
Veterans are getting very good health care
KERRY: Bush said government-run health care results in poor quality. Maybe that explains why he hasn't fully funded the VA and the VA hospital is having trouble and veterans are complaining. Maybe that explains why Medicare patients are complaining about
being pushed off of Medicare. He doesn't adequately fund it. I am not proposing a government-run program. That's not what I have. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Senators and congressmen have a wide choice. Americans ought to have it too. BUSH: Talk
about the VA: We've increased VA funding by $22 billion in the four years since I've been president. That's twice the amount that my predecessor increased VA funding. Of course we're meeting our obligation to our veterans, and the veterans know that.
We're expanding veterans' health care throughout the country. We're aligning facilities where the veterans live now. Veterans are getting very good health care under my administration, and they will continue to do so during the next four years.
Source: [Xref Kerry] Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
Oct 13, 2004
FactCheck: Kerry's plan doesn't put bureaucrats in control
BUSH: Kerry said he's going to have a novel health care plan. You know what it is? The federal government is going to run it. It's the largest increase in federal government health care ever. Government-sponsored health care would lead to rationing. It
would ruin the quality of health care in America. Bush's attack in the debate echoed a grossly misleading claim made in his earlier TV ad, which said Kerry's health plan would put "Washington bureaucrats in control" of medical decisions. That view
isn't supported by neutral experts, however, as we reported on Oct. 4. Actually, an estimated 97% of Americans who now have health insurance will simply keep the plan they have, according to projections by the independent, politically neutral health-care
research firm The Lewin Group, concluding, "I don't see how, in Kerry's plan, decisions on medical procedures would be made in Washington under any circumstances." Republican partisans argue that Kerry's plan will lead to increased government oversight.
Source: Analysis of second Bush-Kerry debate by FactCheck.org
Oct 10, 2004
Double the NIH budget to $28 billion
To destroy life to save life is one of the real ethical dilemmas that we face. There's going to be hundreds of experiments off the 22 lines that now exist that are active, and hopefully we find a cure. But as well, we need to continue to pursue adult
stem cell research. I helped double the NIH budget to $28 billion a year to find cures. And the approach I took is one that I think is a balanced and necessary approach to balance science and the concerns for life.
Source: Second Bush-Kerry Debate, in St. Louis MO
Oct 8, 2004
Kerry's healthcare plan will ruin the quality of healthcare
BUSH: Kerry says he's going to have a novel health care plan. The federal government's going to run it. It is the largest increase in federal government health care ever. That's what liberals do. They create government-sponsored health care.
Maybe you think that makes sense. I don't. Government-sponsored health care would lead to rationing. It would ruin the quality of health care in America.KERRY:
My health care plan is not what Bush described. It is not a government takeover. You have choice. Choose your doctor. Choose your plan. The government has nothing to do with it.
In fact, it doesn't ask you to do anything. If you don't want to take it, you don't have to. If you like your high premiums, you keep 'em. That's the way we leave it.
Source: Second Bush-Kerry Debate, in St. Louis MO
Oct 8, 2004
$15B for international AIDS treatment
America and many nations have established a global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. America has undertaken a $15 billion effort to provide prevention and treatment and humane care in nations afflicted by AIDS, placing a special focus on
15 countries where the need is most urgent. AIDS is the greatest health crisis of our time, and our unprecedented commitment will bring new hope to those who have walked too long in the shadow of death.
Source: Address to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 21, 2004
Will enroll millions of poor children in health programs
America's children must also have a healthy start in life. In a new term, we will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the government's health insurance programs.
We will not allow a lack of attention, or information, to stand between these children and the health care they need.
Source: 2004 Republican Convention Acceptance Speech
Sep 2, 2004
Government-run health care is the wrong prescription
A government-run health care system is the wrong prescription.
By keeping costs under control, expanding access and helping more Americans afford coverage, we will preserve the system of private medicine that makes America's health care the best in the world.
Source: 2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress
Jan 20, 2004
Endorses billions more in health care funding
The President's budget includes $1.5 billion for Community Health Centers, a $114 million increase that would continue the Bush Administration's long-term strategy to add 1,200 new and
expanded health center sites over five years and serve an additional 6.1 million patients. The increase for fiscal year 2003 will support 170 new and expanded health centers, and provide services to a million more patients.
Source: Campaign website, www.georgewbush.com
Aug 30, 2003
Senior Rx: “Immediate Helping Hand” now; more later
President Bush proposes to help low-income senior citizens obtain prescription drugs, but will include a message that he would consider broader Medicare changes that might speed up a prescription-drug benefit for all seniors. “We understand
that there are many on the Hill who believe it should be done as part of comprehensive Medicare reform, and we will be open-minded on that,” a White House official said. The change is a new instance of Bush’s willingness to alter details of
his programs to achieve his broad goals in a Congress where Republicans hold tissue-thin control.Bush’s prescription drug plan, called “Immediate Helping Hand,” would provide $48 billion to states over four years so they could cover the full cost of
drugs for the poorest senior citizens, and part of the cost for those who are slightly better off. As part of his broader plan for Medicare, Bush favors eventually paying at least 25% of the premium costs for prescription drug coverage for all seniors.
Source: Mike Allen, Washington Post, Page A12
Jan 29, 2001
Absolutely opposed to a national health care plan
Q: Would you be open to the ideal of a national health care plan? BUSH: I’m absolutely opposed to a national health care plan. I don’t want the federal government making decisions for consumers or for providers. I remember what the administration
tried to do in 1993. They tried to have a national health care plan, and fortunately it failed. I trust people; I don’t trust the federal government. I don’t want the federal government making decisions on behalf of everybody.
Source: St. Louis debate
Oct 17, 2000
Medical Savings Accounts part of affordable access & choice
Q: Should the government let everyone set aside money in a tax-free medical savings account to help pay for their health care? A: I believe every American should have access to quality, affordable health care by giving consumers
better information about health care plans, providing more choices such as medical savings accounts and changing tax laws to help more people, such as the uninsured and the self-employed, afford health insurance.“
Source: Associated Press
Oct 11, 2000
Claims of immediate help are only true for poorer families
GORE: A married man, 70 years old, with income of $25,000 a year. under Bush’s plan, would not get one penny for four to five years.BUSH: I cannot let this go by. Under my plan, the man gets immediate help with prescription drugs.“
ANALYSIS:
This is NOT TRUE. They would not get immediate help because their income exceeds 175% of the federal poverty level. They would get help only after their bills exceeded $6,000. But a poorer family would get immediate help.
Source: Presidential Debate, Boston Globe, “Number Crunch”, p. A15
Oct 11, 2000
Invest $27B in NIH to cure Alzheimer’s & other diseases
Bush proposed spending an additional $67 billion over the decade to search for cures for age-old afflictions, including Alzheimer’s disease. “As president, I will fund and lead a medical
moonshot to reach far beyond what seems possible today.’’ Specifically, Bush would complete a five-year plan already in progress in Congress to double NIH funding by 2003, to about $27 billion.
Source: AP Story, NY Times
Sep 22, 2000
Government HMOs not the answer for Social Security
Bush said the vice president’s prescription drug plan would force seniors into “government HMOs,” give them one chance to enter the plan at age 64 and cost certain seniors
more money than they currently pay. “That’s not fair and that’s not right.”
Source: AP story, NY Times
Sep 11, 2000
Family Health Credit: pay for 90% of basic low-income policy
[My proposed] “Family Health Credit” would make a basic health plan more affordable. It would pay for 90%of the cost of an insurance policy, up to $2,000 a year, for every family making less than $30,000. Every family that is
not already covered by government programs or an employer plan would be eligible. This Family Health Credit would help to buy a basic policy that covers visits to a doctor, discounted prescriptions, and hospitalization.
Source: USA Today editorial by Bush, page 16A
Apr 13, 2000
$3.6B for 1,200 new community health centers
I support increasing the number of community health centers across America. Community health centers are community-owned, locally administered medical clinics where people can receive preventive care, free vaccine clinics, health alerts,
disease screening, and counseling. They have become America’s health care safety net. Under my plan, we would provide $3.6 billion in federal money over a five-year period to create 1,200 new centers from coast to coast.
Source: USA Today editorial by Bush, page 16A
Apr 13, 2000
Expand and Reform Medical Savings Accounts:
The law and regulations governing MSAs should be changed to:- Make MSAs permanent;
- Lift the 750,000 cap on the number of accounts;
- Allow all employers to offer an MSA, including as part of a cafeteria plan;
- Permit both
employee and employer contributions; and
- Lower the minimum deductible to $1,000 for an individual and $2,000 for family coverage, and permit contributions up to the deductible.
Source: Fact Sheet: “New Prosperity Initiative/Renewing America”
Apr 11, 2000
Opposes doctor assisted suicide
Opposes doctor assisted suicide, believes the role of a doctor is to relieve pain and suffering, not to end life
Source: GeorgeWBush.com: ‘Issues: Policy Points Overview’
Apr 2, 2000
Restrict teenage smoking by tough state & federal laws
Bush, in a statement issued by his campaign headquarters, called on Congress and state legislatures to pass laws to restrict access to tobacco by minors. Texas, he said, had already passed some of the toughest such laws in the nation.
Bush did not address the question that faced the Supreme Court today, whether the FDA should be empowered to regulate tobacco as a harmful and addictive drug. A spokeswoman said the governor had never answered that
question and was not prepared to do so today.
The Bush statement said the governor “believes Congress should pass tough laws to keep tobacco out of the hands of kids similar to strict anti-teen smoking laws he advocated and
signed in Texas.”
Texas imposes fines on retailers who sell cigarettes to minors, prohibits cigarette vending machines in areas accessible to children and restricts tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet of schools and churches.
Source: NyTimes.com
Mar 22, 2000
Health insurance for kids from tobacco settlement
Bush provided health insurance for kids. He used Texas’ tobacco settlement fund to provide health insurance to children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid and whose family income is 200% or less of poverty level.
Source: GeorgeWBush.com/News/ “1999 Texas Legislative Record”
Jun 25, 1999
More funding for disability assistance
Our goal now is [to remove] the last barriers to full, independent, productive lives for every person, with or without disability. I support the Americans with Disabilities Act, [which bans] discrimination against a person with a disability. But
the banning of discrimination is just the beginning of full participation. Barriers remain. My administration will act in three specific areas:- We will promote independent living [via] tripling the current funding, to $33 million annually, for
research on assistive technology like text telephones for the deaf and computer monitors with braille display for the blind.
- We will help citizens with disabilities to claim their rightful place in the workforce [via] $20 million to create an
Access to Telecommuting Fund.
- We will help Americans with disabilities to gain fuller access to community life [via] $10 million each year to aid religious and civic groups in making their facilities more accessible.
Source: “New Freedom Initiative” Speech, part of “Renewing America”
Jun 15, 2000
George W. Bush on Insurance coverage
Association health plans for small business
To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable and give families greater access to good coverage and more control over their health decisions.
I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda with - credits to help low-income workers buy insurance,
- a community health center in every poor country,
-
improved information technology to prevent medical error and needless costs,
- association health plans for small business and their employees,
- expanded health savings accounts, and
-
medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need
Source: 2005 State of the Union Speech
Feb 2, 2005
Allow small firms to join together to purchase insurance
We must allow small firms to join together to purchase insurance at the discounts available to big companies. We will offer a tax credit to encourage small businesses and their employees to set up health savings accounts, and provide direct help for
low-income Americans to purchase them. These accounts give workers the security of insurance against major illness, the opportunity to save tax-free for routine health expenses, and the freedom of taking your account with you whenever you change jobs.
Source: 2004 Republican Convention Acceptance Speech
Sep 2, 2004
Health savings accounts with choice of coverage
Starting this year, millions of Americans will be able to save money, tax-free, for their medical expenses in a health savings account. I signed this measure proudly, and any attempts to limit the choices of our seniors
or to take away their prescription drug coverage under Medicare will meet my veto. On the critical issue of health care, our goal is to ensure that Americans can choose and afford private health care coverage that best fits their individual needs.
Source: 2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress
Jan 20, 2004
100% tax deduction for catastrophic health insurance
On the critical issue of health care: I ask you to give lower-income Americans a refundable tax credit that would allow millions to buy their own basic health insurance. By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes & reduce
costs. We must eliminate wasteful and frivolous medical lawsuits. And tonight I propose that individuals who buy catastrophic health care coverage, as part of our new health savings accounts, be allowed to deduct 100% of the premiums from their taxes.
Source: 2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress
Jan 20, 2004
Everyone should be able to choose a health plan
The President believes that everyone should be able to choose a health care plan that meets their needs at a price they can afford.
When people have good choices, health plans have to compete for their business - which means higher quality and better care.
Source: Campaign website, www.georgewbush.com
Aug 30, 2003
Lift restrictions on Medical Savings Accounts
The President's plan lifts the excessive restrictions on Medical Savings Accounts which will allow many more Americans to set up tax-free accounts to protect themselves from high out-of-pocket costs.
[And it would] modernize Medicare with prescription drug coverage that enables seniors to get the medicines they need, without the government dictating their drug choices.
Source: Campaign website, www.georgewbush.com
Aug 30, 2003
Ask “are we getting health care?” not “are we uninsured?”
There is an issue with the uninsured. There sure is. And we’ve got uninsured people in my state. But we’re providing health care for our people. One thing about insurance, that’s a Washington term. The question is, are people getting health care? And
we’ve got a strong safety net. And there needs to be a safety net in America. There needs to be more community health clinics where the poor can go get health care. We need a program for the uninsured. They’ve been talking about it in Washington, D.C.
The number of uninsured have now gone up for the past seven years. We need a $2,000 credit, a rebate for working people who don’t have insurance, that they can use in the marketplace and start purchasing insurance.
We need to allow small businesses to write insurance policies across jurisdictional lines so small business can afford health care. Health care needs to be affordable and available.
Source: St. Louis debate
Oct 17, 2000
Link small businesses together in large insurance pools
Q: What will you do for uninsured people under 65?BUSH: For working folks that want health care, that can’t afford it, a couple of things: I’ve put money in my budget to expand community health centers all around the country. These are places where
people can get primary care. Secondly, you get a $2,000 rebate from the government if you’re a family making $30,000 or less - it scales down as it gets higher - that you can use to purchase health care in the private market. Allow business associations
to write association plans across jurisdictional lines so that small businesses have got the capacity of national pooling to drive the cost of insurance down.
GORE: I’d like to see some form of universal health care, but I’m not for
a government-run system. We should start by greatly expanding the so-called child health insurance, or CHIP program, to give health insurance to every single child in this country.
Source: Presidential Debate at Wake Forest University
Oct 11, 2000
Cover 3 million uninsured at a 10-year cost of $135 billion
Health care divides the candidates on the balance of power they propose between the public and private sectors. Gore served in the health-conscious Clinton administration; health is traditionally a Democratic issue. Bush has governed a state with one
of the worst public-health records in the country. He says he would: - introduce a wider set of tax credits (up to $2,000 for a family earning $30,000 a year) to help people buy their own health insurance. Estimated cost and coverage: 3 million more
Americans insured, at a cost of $135 billion over ten years.
- spend $158 billion over ten years restructuring the administrative and delivery system of Medicare, relying on private health-care companies to compete in offering insurance covering the
full range of existing Medicare services and a new prescription-drug benefit.
- support a patients’ bill of rights that would give patients in federally regulated health plans a limited right to sue. Texas passed such a law without Bush’s support.
Source: The Economist, “Issues 2000”
Sep 30, 2000
Small business health insurance via trade associations
We will increase the number of good, lower-cost plans available to workers. Small businesses should be allowed to buy insurance from a trade association, giving them the same purchasing power as a
large company and bringing down the cost. This would allow a family restaurant, or a local hardware store, to insure their workers through the National Restaurant Association or the US Chamber of Commerce.
Source: USA Today editorial by Bush, page 16A
Apr 13, 2000
More CHIPs; more multistate HMOs
George W. Bush’s plan: | Al Gore’s plan: |
---|
Tax credit for 90% of health insurance costs for families making up to $60,000, individuals up to $45,000 | Tax credit worth 25% of premiums
paid by people who buy insurance on their own |
Flexibility for states to expand coverage under the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPs) | Coverage for more children under the Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIPs) |
Help for small businesses to buy cheaper insurance through multistate organizations | Enact a Patient’s Bill of Rights, with access to specialists, emergency rooms, and the right to sue HMOs |
Source: USA Today editorials, page 16A
Apr 13, 2000
New Prosperity Initiative: $2,000 health ins. tax credit
To Provide Access to Affordable Health Care [as part of the New Prosperity Initiative], Governor Bush will:Provide a health credit of up to $2,000 per family ($1,000 per individual) to cover 90% of the cost of health insurance for low-income,
working Americans who are not covered by a government program or their employer. As income increases, the share of the cost covered by the health credit will decrease. Lower the cost of health insurance for small businesses and
their employees by allowing these businesses to purchase more affordable policies through multi-state Association Health Plans. Strengthen the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, giving
states more flexibility to innovate and reach out to eligible people. Empower people through Flexible Savings Accounts and Medical Savings Accounts.
Source: Fact Sheet: “New Prosperity Initiative/Renewing America”
Apr 11, 2000
George W. Bush on Medicare + Medicaid
We got Medicare reform done
KERRY: He put $139 billion of windfall profit into the pockets of the drug companies right out of your pockets. That's the difference between us. Bush sides with the power companies, the oil companies, the drug companies; and I'm fighting to let you get
those drugs from Canada and I'm fighting to let Medicare survive. I'm fighting for the middle class.BUSH: If they're safe, they're coming. I want to remind you that it wasn't just my administration that made the decision on safety. Clinton did the same
thing because we have an obligation to protect you. Kerry's been in the US Senate 20 years. Show me one accomplishment toward Medicare that he accomplished. I've been in Washington 3-1/2 years and led the Congress to reform Medicare so our seniors have
got a modern health care system.
KERRY: In 1997 we fixed Medicare, and I was one of the people involved in it. We not only fixed Medicare and took it way out into the future; we did something that you don't know how to do, we balanced the budget.
Source: [Xref kerry] Second Bush-Kerry Debate, in St. Louis MO
Oct 8, 2004
Medicare bill uses market-based solutions to reduce costs
The December 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act embodied Bush's approach. On the one hand, it helped seniors, many with low incomes, by covering prescription drugs and checkups that were not covered before. While coverage
would not start until 2006, a prescription discount card was to start giving seniors savings of 10% to 25% in June 2004. On the other hand, by introducing competition, free enterprise, deductibles, and preventive health care, the new law used free market
approaches of the private sector to keep costs in line.The Bush approach was to use elegantly simple market-based solutions to reduce costs. Under the old Medicare, there was no preventative care. Now when you are a senior and turn sixty-five, you
will get a physical. Medicare can identify problems rather than waiting until you are seventy-five and they are more serious. And how could anyone be against giving the elderly prescription drugs that they did not have before?
Source: A Matter of Character, by Ronald Kessler, p.267-68
Aug 5, 2004
Medicare Rx plan: immediate help, then senior choice
GORE (to Bush): Under the Medicare prescription drug proposal I’m making, here’s how it works: You go to your own doctor and your doctor chooses your prescription, and no HMO or insurance company can take those choices away from you. Then you go to your
own pharmacy, you fill the prescription and Medicare pays half the cost. If you’re in a very poor family or you have very high costs, Medicare will pay all the costs, a $25 premium and much better benefits than you can possibly find in the private
sector. BUSH: I’ve got a plan on Medicare that’s a two-stage plan that says we’re going to have immediate help for seniors in what I call “Immediate Helping Hand,” a $48 billion program. [Then,] seniors are going to have not only a Medicare
plan where the poor seniors will have their prescriptions paid for, but there will be a variety of options. My plan not only trusts seniors with options, my plan sets aside $3.4 trillion for Medicare over the next 10 years.
Source: Presidential debate, Boston MA
Oct 3, 2000
Cap senior prescription costs at $6,000 per year
Healthcare compared | Gore’s plan | Bush’s plan |
---|
Poor seniors | All drug costs would be covered for those with incomes below $12,000 (single) or $14,000 (couple). | All drug
costs would be covered for those with incomes below $11,300 (single) or $15,200 (couple). Seniors with incomes below $14,600 (single) or $19,700 (couple) would get a partial subsidy of prescription drug premiums from the government. The lower one’s
income, the higher the subsidy. |
---|
All other seniors | Half of drug costs, up to $5,000 a year, would be paid by the government. After that, seniors would have to pay out of pocket. Once the senior has paid a total of $4,000 for the
year, the government would pick up all remaining drug costs. | The government would pay for 25% of drug premiums. After a senior has paid $6,000 in a year, the government would pick up all remaining costs. |
---|
Source: Boston Globe, p. A8
Sep 6, 2000
$158B for Medicare prescriptions & subsidized premiums
Medicare reform compared | Gore’s plan | Bush’s plan |
---|
Premiums | Start at $25 per month, increasing to $44 by 2008. | Will be determined by individual private health insurance
companies, with higher premiums for more extensive coverage. |
---|
Projected Cost | $253 billion over 10 years | $158 billion over 10 years, of which $48 billion would go for immediate prescription aid by 2004. |
---|
Source: Boston Globe, p. A8
Sep 6, 2000
Choice of Medicare, free equivalent, or adding own $
[Seniors under Bush’s Medicare plan] will have a system with a proven track record. Nine million federal employees already have a similar plan. Seniors will get a book each year, listing all the health plans, and comparing their benefits. Seniors can
stay in the current Medicare system, with no changes. They can choose another basic plan, for no cost at all. Or they can choose to pay a little more for a plan with additional benefits. And every low income senior will get a high-option plan for free.
Source: Speech “Modernizing Medicare,” Allentown, PA
Sep 5, 2000
Second bill to Congress: $48B for immediate Rx help
During the transition to better Medicare coverage, we will provide $12 billion a year in direct aid to low-income seniors. My plan sets aside $158 billion additional dollars for Medicare over the next ten years. Four years to provide “An Immediate
Helping Hand,” and an additional $110 billion for Medicare modernization. I have said that education reform will be the first bill I propose to Congress. The measure I am proposing today-immediate prescription drugs for seniors-will be my second bill.
Source: Speech “Modernizing Medicare,” Allentown, PA
Sep 5, 2000
All seniors entitled to Medicare; poor seniors subsidized
Here is my plan:- We will keep the guarantee of health care security. Every senior will be entitled to the current set of Medicare benefits.
- We will give all seniors a number of additional options, so they can choose a better policy that meets
their indvidual needs.
- Every health plan that participates in Medicare must also offer a policy that includes prescription drugs.
- Seniors with incomes less than $11,300-couples making less than $15,200-will pay no premium for their medical
insurance, and will get prescription drug coverage at no cost.
- Those just above that income level will get a substantial subsidy to help them afford prescription coverage.
- All seniors will get help with at least 25% of their premiums for
prescription drug coverage.
- All Medicare policies will be approved by the federal government, to ensure that the proper benefits are offered.
- No age increase. No tax increase. That is my commitment to the American people.
Source: Speech “Modernizing Medicare,” Allentown, PA
Sep 5, 2000
$7.4B for nursing home insurance via tax deductions
Bush proposed tax breaks yesterday to help older Americans with nursing home insurance and those caring for relatives at home. The governor said his plan, at a cost of $7.4 billion over five years, was an effort to steer people off “a path to financial
ruin.”Bush wants to provide an income tax deduction to anyone buying long-term care insurance. The deduction, now available only to people who itemize and have big medical expenses, would apply to everyone except those on employer-subsidized
long-term care plans. The campaign estimated the cost of that portion of Bush’s proposal at $5.1 billion.
Also, Bush proposed an additional tax exemption for elderly spouses, parents, or other relatives cared
for in one’s home. That exemption is currently $2,750 a year. The campaign estimated the cost of that second proposal at $2.3 billion over 5 years.
Source: Boston Globe, p. A29, part of “Renewing America’s Purpose”
May 11, 2000
Replace 132,000-page Medicare document with senior choice
As far as the elderly, [their health care is] controlled by a 132,000-page document to determine how to allocate and ration Medicare dollars to the seniors. It is a plan that is inefficient, it is a plan that’s antiquated. And what our government
must do is empower our seniors to be able to make choices for themselves and support premiums for the poorest of seniors.
Source: GOP Debate in Johnston, Iowa
Jan 16, 2000
George W. Bush on Patient Rights
Supports passage of Patient's Bill of Rights
The President strongly supports the passage of a Patients' Bill of Rights that leaves medical decisions in the hands of physicians, instead of insurance companies - and urges Congress to reconcile differences and complete its work this year.
Source: Campaign website, www.georgewbush.com
Aug 30, 2003
Patient Rights: No gatekeepers for gynecologists
BUSH: [A Patients’ Bill of Rights] requires a different kind of leadership style to [accomplish]. In order to get something done on behalf of the people, you have to put partisanship aside. And that’s what we did in my state. We’ve got one of the most
advanced patients’ bill of rights. It says, for example, that a woman doesn’t have to go through a gatekeeper to go to her gynecologist. It says that you can’t gag a doctor. The HMO or insurance company can’t gag that doctor from giving you full advice.
It allows patients to choose their own doctor if they want to. And you can sue an HMO for denying you proper coverage. Now, there’s what’s called an Independent Review Organization that you have to go through first. If you’ve got a complaint with
your insurance company, you can take your complaint to an objective body. If they rule on your behalf, the insurance company must follow those rules, or that becomes a cause of action in a court of law.
Source: St. Louis debate
Oct 17, 2000
Give seniors choice, not bureaucrats; give incentives too
What will be the real world results for seniors? - Seniors can stay in the current Medicare system, or choose another basic plan, for no cost at all. Or they can choose to pay a little more for a plan with additional benefits.
- If seniors are
not happy with the service they receive, they can simply change their policy. This is the best way to make a health bureaucracy responsive - by giving customers the freedom to choose.
- Government regulators will no longer be making decisions
about health coverage, which slows the adoption of new medical technologies. So seniors will see medical advances covered by their insurance more quickly.
- This plan will mean that every low to moderate income senior in America will be able to afford
prescription benefits. Every single one.
- This modernization will make Medicare economically stable in the future - strengthening the program for current seniors and preserving it for the next generation.
Source: Speech “Modernizing Medicare,” Allentown, PA
Sep 5, 2000
Health care access via empowerment, not nationalizing
I believe we can help low-income Americans have access to high-quality health care.- We can start by making a basic health plan more affordable, via a “Family Health Credit.”
- Second, we will increase the number of good, lower-cost plans
available to workers.
- Third, I support increasing the number of community health centers across America.
- Finally, I am proposing a Healthy Community Innovation Fund-an extra source of federal support for health care in underserved communities.
This initiative would support pilot programs for targeted purposes, such as AIDS education or mental health awareness.
These health care proposals will increase access to better health care and health insurance for millions of
low-income Americans. And unlike my opponent’s approach, my proposals will not nationalize our health care system; they will empower our patients.
Source: USA Today editorial by Bush, page 16A
Apr 13, 2000
Private alternatives & state reforms come first
- Strengthen Medicare by providing more choice and more private sector alternatives for the elderly
- Supports a prescription drug benefit to Medicare recipients through more options and greater choice of plans; also supports giving financial
assistance to poor seniors to help pay for the plans
- Supports medical savings accounts as a health insurance option
- Opposes legislation that would supersede reforms already enacted by states
Source: GeorgeWBush.com: ‘Issues: Policy Points Overview’
Apr 2, 2000
HMOs should cover emergency room; & gynecology directly
On HMOs: Favors requirement that patients be covered for hospital emergency care, that women be able to go directly to gynecologist, and patients with ongoing illnesses not be forced to change
doctors, among other protections. Also favors independent review process and ultimate avenue for legal action by patients, but says any federal move on this front should not supersede protections in place in states.
Source: Associated Press
Mar 14, 2000
Create Review Board to hear HMO complaints
Q: Do you believe patients should have the right to sue their HMO? A: I do. A Texas law says if you’ve got a complaint with your HMO and you’re the patient, you can take your complaint to what’s called an Independent Review Organization. It’s a group of
objective minded people that hear your claim, that hear your cause. If they decide that the HMO is wrong, and the HMO ignores the finding, that then becomes a cause of action. I would have a National Review Board and make that possible for everyone.
Source: Des Moines Iowa GOP Debate
Dec 13, 1999
George W. Bush on Prescription Drugs
FactCheck: Bush opposed drug reimports, but so did Clinton
KERRY-EDWARDS CLAIM: "In the Senate we passed the right of Americans to import drugs from Canada. But the president and his friends took it out in the House, and now you don't have that right. The president blocked you from the right to have less
expensive drugs from Canada."CNN FACT CHECK:Bush did oppose a measure to import inexpensive prescription drugs from Canada, but Clinton killed a similar measure. Clinton signed a Canadian drug reimportation bill in Oct. 2000, but cited various
problems including safety concerns. Two months later, the Clinton administration invoked a provision in the law to kill the program entirely. In the second presidential debate this year, Bush explained his position: "When a drug comes in from Canada,
I want to make sure it cures you and doesn't kill you." However, in the 2000 presidential debates, Bush did indicate support for drug reimportation: "To allow for drugs that were sold overseas to come back into the US-that makes sense."
Source: CNN FactCheck on statements by Bush and Kerry:
Oct 29, 2004
FactCheck: Only 19% of poor seniors use Drug Discount cards
BUSH: There are other ways to make sure drugs are cheaper [instead of allowing reimportation from Canada]. One is to get our seniors to sign up to these drug discount cards, and they're working.FACT CHECK: In fact they're not working nearly as well
as originally advertised. Seniors complain the cards are confusing, and healthcare advocates fault the Department of Health and Human Services for failing to effectively publicize the program. The Associated Press reported that of the 7 million poor
seniors who are eligible for the card and a $600 subsidy, only 1.3 million (19%) have actually signed up to receive the discount. And as widely reported, total enrollment-counting both poor and non-poor-is at 4.4 million, and over half of those were
enrolled automatically by heath maintenance organizations. The overall total is still 3 million shy of the number the administration predicted would be enrolled by the end of 2004.
Source: Analysis of second Bush-Kerry debate by FactCheck.org
Oct 10, 2004
Make sure the drugs from Canada cure and don't kill you
Q: Why did you block the reimportation of safer and inexpensive drugs from Canada?A: I just want to make sure they're safe. When a drug comes in from Canada, I want to make sure it cures you and doesn't kill you. And that's why the FDA and that's why
the surgeon general are looking very carefully to make sure it can be done in a safe way. I've got an obligation to make sure our government does everything we can to protect you. And my worry is is that, you know, it looks like it's from Canada; it
might be from a Third World. We've just got to make sure before somebody thinks they're buying a product that it works. And that's why we're doing what we're doing. Now, it may very well be here in December you hear me say I think there's a safe way to
do it. Other ways to make sure drugs are cheaper. One is to speed up generic drugs to the marketplace quicker. Pharmaceuticals were using loopholes to keep brand drugs in place, and generics are much less expensive than brand drugs.
Source: Second Bush-Kerry Debate, in St. Louis MO
Oct 8, 2004
Senior Rx coverage without government dictates
- Prescription drug coverage that enables seniors to get the medicines they need, without the government dictating their drug choices.
- Choice of an individual health care plan that best fits their needs just like Members of
Congress and other federal employees enjoy today.
- Choice of the doctor, hospital, or place they want for the treatment and care they need.
- Full coverage for disease prevention such as screenings for cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.
Source: Campaign website, www.georgewbush.com
Aug 30, 2003
Give states money to help poor seniors buy medicine
Q: What about expensive prescription drugs? BUSH: Step one is to reform the Medicare system. I want to call upon Republicans and Democrats to take care of a senior prescription drug program. I think it’s important to have what’s called Immediate
Helping Hand, which is direct money to states so seniors don’t have to chose between food and medicine.
GORE: I have never been afraid to take on the big drug companies. They are now spending more money on advertising than they are on research. They’re
trying to artificially extend the monopoly so they can keep charging high prices. I want to streamline the approval of generic drugs so that we bring the price down. I proposed a prescription drug benefit under Medicare. You pick your own doctor and the
doctor chooses the prescription and nobody can overrule your doctor. You go to your own pharmacy and Medicare pays half. If you’re poor, they pay all of it. If you have extraordinarily high costs, then they pay all over $4,000 out of pocket.
Source: St. Louis debate
Oct 17, 2000
Medicare Rx drug coverage for low-income seniors
Medicare is one of the most important contributions to seniors’ health care ever enacted. I will work to strengthen Medicare by enhancing its financial stability and ensuring seniors
have access to more comprehensive coverage better tailored to their health care needs. We now have an inefficient system that is run by a 132,000-page document where the
government makes all the decisions. I support increasing competition and giving seniors the right to choose their health care plans that include basic coverage such as prescription
drugs. We should also ensure prescription drug coverage is available for low-income seniors who otherwise cannot afford it.
Source: Associated Press, in Brockton (MA) Enterprise, p. B6
Mar 1, 2000
George W. Bush on Tort Reform
Flu vaccine shortage from litigation worries
Q: What should be done about the severe shortage of flu vaccine?A: We're working with Canada to help us [get] the vaccine necessary to make sure our citizens have got flu vaccinations during this upcoming season.
If you're healthy, if you're younger, don't get a flu shot this year. Help us prioritize those who need to get the flu shot, the elderly and the young. We have a problem with litigation in the US.
Vaccine manufacturers are worried about getting sued and so therefore they have backed off from providing this kind of vaccine.
One of the reasons I'm such a strong believer in legal reform is so that people aren't afraid of producing a product that is necessary for the health of our citizens and then end up getting sued in a court of law.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry Debate, in Tempe Arizona
Oct 13, 2004
Lack of market forces and lawsuits increase healthcare costs
Q: Health insurance costs have risen over 36% over the last four years. Who bears responsibility for this?A: There's a systemic problem. Health-care costs are on the rise because the consumers are not involved in the decision-making process. Most
health-care costs are covered by third parties. And therefore, the actual user of health care is not the purchaser of health care. And there's no market forces involved with health care. Secondly, I do believe the lawsuits are causing health-care costs
to rise in America. That's why I'm such a strong believer in medical liability reform. The defensive practice of medicine costs the federal government some $28 billion a year and costs our society between $60 billion and $100 billion a year. Thirdly, one
of the reasons why there's still high cost in medicine is they don't use any information technology. It's the equivalent of the buggy and horse days, compared to other industries here in America. And finally, moving generic drugs to the market quicker.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
Oct 13, 2004
FactCheck: Frivolous lawsuits do not cost government $28B
BUSH: Kerry says that medical liability costs only cause a 1% increase. That shows a lack of understanding. Doctors practice defensive medicine because of all the frivolous lawsuits that cost our government $28 billion a year. FACT CHECK:
Bush recycled his claim that lawsuits force physicians to practice "defensive medicine" that adds substantially to medical costs, and increases federal spending for health-care programs by $28 billion a year. We de-bunked that one back in January.
The non-partisan GAO and CBO agencies criticize the study the Bush administration uses as their main support for that claim. These agencies suggest savings from passage of limits on malpractice damages-if there are any savings at all-would be relatively
small. Bush's claim rests mainly on a single 1996 study by two Stanford economists who said caps on damage awards could hold down overall medical costs by 5% to 9%. The CBO found "no evidence that restrictions on tort liability reduce medical spending."
Source: Analysis of second Bush-Kerry debate by FactCheck.org
Oct 10, 2004
Pass medical liability reform to make health care affordable
I have met too many good doctors, especially OB-GYNS, who are being forced out of practice because of the high cost of lawsuits. To make health care more affordable and accessible, we must pass medical liability reform now.
And in all we do to improve health care in America, we will make sure that health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
Source: 2004 Republican Convention Acceptance Speech
Sep 2, 2004
Lower care costs; reform taxes; limit lawsuits
Bush supports the following principles regarding health issues:- Ensure access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care
- Limit damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits
- Require HMOs
to give patients complete doctor choice
- Bush says, “To improve access to basic health care, we need to bring down health care costs, reform tax laws, limit frivolous lawsuits, and allow medical savings accounts.”
Source: Vote Smart NPAT 1998
Jul 2, 1998
Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure.
Bush 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