Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Results Of Several Gubernatorial Races
Incumbent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) defeated state Treasurer Phil Angelides (D) by a 56% to 39% margin, with 93% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/8).
Earlier this year, Schwarzenegger appointed a bipartisan team of health experts to draft a health care plan that is scheduled for release in January 2007. During his first term, he vetoed a state Senate bill (SB 840) that would have created a state-run, single-payer health insurance system, but he has said that every California resident should have access to health insurance. He has also said he supports universal coverage for all children, including undocumented immigrants, but last year he vetoed a bill that would have created universal coverage for children because he said it was too costly. Schwarzenegger opposed a bill (SB 2) that would have required large companies to offer health insurance to employees, and he campaigned successfully to repeal the law in 2004. This year, Schwarzenegger signed compromise legislation that will require pharmaceutical companies to create prescription drug discount programs for uninsured California residents or face sanctions.
Angelides has said that he supports universal health care coverage but did not take a position on the state Senate bill that would replace private health insurers with a state-run, single-payer system (Sacramento Bee, 10/21). He said that if elected he would have sponsored legislation that would have expanded coverage under the California Healthy Kids program to all children in the state. In addition, he said he would have sponsored legislation that would have required businesses with more than 200 employees to offer health care coverage to employees and their dependents (Angelides Web site). Angelides has said he would have supported legislation that would have created a state-run Web site to allow state residents to purchase lower-cost medications from Canadian pharmacies. He also said he would have worked to pass legislation that would prohibit HMOs from spending more than 10% of revenues from premiums on administrative and overhead costs. Angelides estimated that such legislation would reduce health care costs by $4 billion and lower health insurance premiums (Sacramento Bee, 10/21).
Florida
State Attorney General Charlie Crist (R) -- a former state senator and former state commissioner of education -- defeated U.S. Rep. Jim Davis (D) by a 52% to 45% margin, with 99% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/8).Crist has said he would continue current Gov. Jeb Bush's (R) plan to shift Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care plans under an ongoing pilot program (Royse, AP/Tallahassee Ledger, 11/1). Crist also has said he would use the state's buying power to negotiate volume discounts on prescription drugs. Uninsured Florida residents would save up to 40% on prescription drug costs under the plan, according to Crist. Crist also supports a change in state law that would allow small businesses to form purchasing pools to buy health insurance for employees. In addition, he has said state law should be changed to allow health insurers to market policies that do not meet certain coverage mandates required under current state law (Hollis, Orlando Sentinel, 10/6). While serving as a state senator on the Health Care Committee in 1995, Crist voted against a bill that would have required a mandatory 24-hour waiting period for abortions. The bill died in committee after Crist voted with Democrats to reject the bill. He has since said that he is against abortion but opposed the waiting period bill because he believed it would interfere with medically necessary procedures (Hiaasen, Miami Herald, 10/27).
Davis has said that he is not opposed to using managed care in Medicaid but that he believes beneficiaries should be able to choose if they wish to enroll in private plans (Saunders, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 10/15). Davis has said that if elected he would have reinstated outreach efforts to enroll more uninsured children in Florida KidCare (Davis Web site). Like Crist, Davis supports prescription drug reimportation and allowing small businesses to form purchasing pools to buy health insurance for employees (Daytona Beach News-Journal, 10/15). In addition, Davis has said that if elected, he would have joined the Rx Issuing States multistate prescription drug purchasing pool to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies. Davis supports abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research (Davis Web site).
Illinois
Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) defeated state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka (R) by a 49% to 40% margin , with 91% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/8).
Blagojevich during his first term expanded state-sponsored health insurance coverage through All Kids -- the nation's first universal insurance plan for children -- and FamilyCare to as many as 475,000 previously uninsured children and adults. Blagojevich's staff said he has reduced state Medicaid costs by $450 million while preserving benefits by adjusting provider reimbursement rates, using some managed care elements and implementing controls on prescription drugs. Some critics question whether the state can afford the reforms (Graham, Chicago Tribune, 10/19). Blagojevich said in his second term he would establish a program called Veterans Care that would offer health care coverage for low-income, uninsured veterans who live far away from Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals (Blagojevich Web site).
Topinka has said that if elected, her goal would have been to cut Illinois' $12 billion annual Medicaid budget by $2.9 billion over four years. Topinka also has said she would have asked the federal government to pay its share of the state's Medicaid funding in the form of a block grant, which she said would reduce costs. Topinka's staff has said she would have implemented the use of managed care plans in the Illinois Medicaid program. In addition, she would have enforced stricter asset limits for Medicaid applicants and would have placed a limit on family incomes for state residents applying to All Kids (Chicago Tribune, 10/19).
Iowa
Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver (D) defeated U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle (R) by a 54% to 44% margin, with 99% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/8).
Culver has said he would expand eligibility for the Iowa Hawk-I health insurance program to families with incomes of up to 200% of the federal poverty level who do not have employer-sponsored health insurance. In addition, he would allow state residents of all income levels to purchase health insurance for their children through Hawk-I on an income-based sliding scale (Culver Web site). Culver has said he would invest $10 million in state funds to launch a new center for stem cell research at the University of Iowa. He has said that he would veto any legislation that would place additional restrictions on abortion rights in Iowa but that he supports the current state law requiring parental notification before a minor undergoes an abortion (Associated Press, 10/27).
Nussle said he supports expanded use of HSAs and the creation of association health plans for farmers and small businesses. He has said that if elected, he would have established a telephone hotline and a state-run Web site to allow Iowa residents to compare prescription drug prices for different health plans and pharmacies (Nussle Web site). Nussle opposes abortion rights except to save the life of the woman. He also opposes embryonic stem cell research but supports research using existing stem cell lines and adult stem cells (Associated Press, 10/27).
Massachusetts
Deval Patrick (D), a former assistant U.S. attorney general, defeated Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R) by a 56% to 35% margin, with 99% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/8).
Patrick has said he would support legislation that would expand eligibility requirements for Medicaid and impose assessments on employers that do not offer health insurance. He also has said he would guarantee catastrophic health insurance coverage for all Massachusetts residents who are not covered by Medicaid or Medicare. In addition, Patrick said he would increase funding for prevention programs and the state public health system (Patrick Web site).
Healey has said that she opposes "any attempt to link health care reform with a new tax on businesses." She said that if elected she would consolidate health care purchases by cities and towns under the state group health insurance commission, a move that she said would reduce costs by hundreds of millions of dollars. She also has said she supports medical malpractice reform (OnTheIssues.org). New York
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (D) defeated attorney John Faso (R) by a 69% to 29% margin, with 99% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/8).
Spitzer has said he would guarantee health coverage for every child and reduce prescription drug costs by increasing the use of generics and leveraging New York's purchasing power. He also plans to reduce Medicaid spending by examining ways to limit long-term care costs and addressing Medicaid fraud (Long Island Newsday, 10/30). In addition, Spitzer said that in his first year as governor he would establish a universal health care program to provide preventive care and expand available options through a managed care structure (LaMonica, Suffolk Life Newspapers, 10/18). Spitzer has said he wants to reduce the number of uninsured state residents by 50% to about 1.35 million within five years, take steps to reduce obesity, create programs to manage chronic diseases more effectively and make it easier for disabled residents to receive care at home (Gallagher, Journal News, 10/9).
Faso's health reform plan included creating special health courts for New York's malpractice system, according to a release. He has said that high malpractice costs contribute to a shortage of doctors in high-risk specialties, increase costs and waste resources. Improving affordability and access to care by limiting service mandates, along with allowing the state's insurance law to include HSAs, also were part of his plan (Faso release, 10/11). Faso has said he would have eliminated Medicaid waste by ensuring that the medical inspector general had the tools necessary to prosecute effectively, expanded primary care and health center usage, increased the use of generic drugs and promoted alternatives to nursing home care (Oche, Long Island Newsday, 10/30).
"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Kaiser Raport zilnic de politicã de sãnãtate scoate în evidenþã rezultatele de mai multe curse de guvernator - Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Results Of Several Gubernatorial Races - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate