Hillarycare gets unveiled
A speech in Iowa rolled out Hillary Clinton’s latest version of health care reform, retooled to better serve her ‘08 campaign and to place her solidly in the middle of the various plans of the candidates of each side in the race. Nothing that will bring instant ridicule or make a lasting impression. It’s conservative for one reason: 1994. It smacks of Mitt Romney’s health insurance reform in Massachusetts (”buy it - or else…”)and will not do anything to please the angry left, reduced to clamoring for “single payer/universal or bust.” Edwards is the guy for them this time around. The plans of Obama and Hillary don’t get close to the feared “socialized medicine” of Republican lore.
Cillizza at WaPO has a good overview of the political ramifications of Hillcare ‘08, so we’ll spare you those details and leave it to C.C. to fill you in.
TIME has the basics on the nuts and bolts of Hillary’s proposal.
The $110-billion-a-year plan avoids some of the biggest political landmines of that 1993-1994 effort. Instead of forcing people into big buying cooperatives — back then, she called them “alliances” — her new proposal allows people who like their health insurance to keep it. Her earlier plan would have established a big new government bureaucracy to determine things like what specific benefits should be required for all Americans; her new one does not. And while it contains a version of her earlier plan’s controversial “employer mandate,” requiring businesses to provide coverage for their workers, it exempts small employers.
That means the revised employer mandate in her new plan would miss a large segment of the uninsured population; currently, the Clinton campaign acknowledged, only 48% of companies that employ fewer than 10 people provide health benefits. Instead, Clinton’s new plan achieves universal coverage by imposing an “individual mandate” — a requirement that those who do not get coverage from their employers go out and purchase it themselves — but also by offering tax breaks and other incentives to make that affordable. It would be financed in part by eliminating President Bush’s tax cuts for wealthier Americans.
More of the plan was explained in a conference call press briefing after Hillary’s speech, where her policy adviser went over the details. Lots of pressure is put on both individuals and moderate-to-large businesses (there’s plenty of leeway for small businesses) to enroll in any health care plan, with stiff penalties assess those who won’t play ball. This chafes the left but will render right wing criticism that it’s a big, gooey handout a little less relevant. Another easy way out for Hillary is the inclusion of an opt-out clause, where people happy with their current health plan can stay put. It’s all very safe…
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically each day to your feed reader.
Can’t we find a President who ISN’T a BUSH or a CLINTON?