Steve Beshear on Health Care Democrat

ObamaCare is life and death for people, but needs repairs

Mr. President, folks here in in Kentucky expect you to keep your word, because this isn't a game, it's life & death for people. These ideas promise access to care, but deny the importance of making care affordable and effective. They would charge families more for fewer benefits and put the insurance companies back in control.

Behind these ideas is the belief that folks at the lower end of the economic ladder just don't deserve health care. That it is somehow their fault that their employer doesn't offer insurance. But these 22 million Americans are our friends and neighbors.

OpEd: Like a man possessed in getting people covered

And if you want to know the real impact this law is having, just talk to Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky, who's here tonight. Kentucky's not the most liberal part of the country, but he's like a man possessed when it comes to covering his commonwealth's families. "They are our friends and neighbors," he said. "They are people we shop and go to church with--farmers out on the tractors; grocery clerks--they are people who go to work every morning praying they don't get sick. No one deserves to live that way."

Steve's right. That's why, tonight, I ask every American who knows someone without health insurance to help them get covered by March 31st. Moms, get on your kids to sign up. Kids, call your mom and walk her through the application.

Kentucky leads the way on affordable health care for all

Support managed competition & healthcare tax incentives

Beshear supports the following principles concerning health care:
• Support a “managed competition” health care plan to contain costs and improve access that does not include mandated health alliances, government cost control powers, or employer/employee mandates.
• Provide tax incentives for small businesses to help provide health care to their employees.
• Allow middle and low income families to deduct yearly health care costs from their taxable income.

Adopt national health reform legislation before the end of the year.

In a letter to congressional leadership, 22 governors are urging federal lawmakers to adopt national health reform legislation before the end of the year to provide families and businesses with much-needed security and stability.

"We commend you and your colleagues for provisions included in your bills that will help states," the governors wrote. "Many of the provisions will allow states to achieve long term savings and help cover those who currently go without health coverage. We recognize that health reform is a shared responsibility and everyone, including state governments, needs to partner to reform our broken health care system."

"Efforts at the federal level, like the recent and critical investments that support states' HIV and prevention initiatives, are beginning the work to lower health care costs. Our citizens and our states, however, will only achieve the health care security and stability they need if we succeed in working together to achieve health care reform."