Public officials elected this fall will have to deal with serious health care issues during their terms, including making decisions about health care delivery, programs, initiatives and possible cuts.
Candidates are campaigning vigorously about health care issues, trying to tell voters their plans.
But none of that may matter very much.
"I don't think any issues are likely to affect voters very much in these remaining two weeks," said Gregory Markus, a University political science professor. "The number of undecideds is small."
Nonetheless, candidates say decisions that will be made about health care in the next few years are too critical to go unconsidered by voters.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) said she has a strong voting record on health care. Rivers co-sponsored several bills that provide more health care choices and coverage. The bills invoked changes such as prohibiting insurers from restricting doctors' rights to talk about treatment options and requiring Medicare to cover a greater range of treatments and screenings.
Joe Fitzsimmons, a Republican challenging Rivers for her seat, said he has a better plan for health care than his opponent. He said he supports modest changes and greater accessibility of services.
He said he does not believe government should intervene in health care administration. "I don't believe in one-size-fits-all health care," Fitzsimmons said. "I believe in incremental change."
Portable, renewable health insurance is very important, Fitzsimmons said. He also said saving Medicare is important, adding that neither he nor other Republicans plan to cut it.
"(Medicare) is so important. We need to create a bipartisan commission to find a permanent solution - not a Band-Aid," Fitzsimmons said.
Health care, specifically the future of the University Medical Center, has drawn much attention on campus over the past few months. Following Medical Center budget and staff cuts, the University Board of Regents is reviewing options for the hospitals and the Medical School.
Given that about 40 percent of the University budget goes to the operation of the Medical Center, the hospitals are a concern for the regents.
Olivia Maynard, a Democratic candidate for regent, said the regents elected this year will likely play crucial roles in determining the future of the University Medical Center. Maynard said she knows changes will have to be made.
"Health care delivery has been changing and will continue to change," Maynard said. "Entities have to be flexible to change."
Maynard said maintenance of the quality of patient care and opportunities for research must be top priorities in the decision-making process.
Maynard and other regent candidates tout their experiences as strengths to vote on.
Her service as director of the State Office on Aging and with the University's Turner Clinic has provided her with hands-on experience with the health care industry, Maynard said. She said her familiarity with health care issues could only be an advantage in making decisions for the University Hospitals.
Regent Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor), who is running for re-election to the board, said he has more hospital experience than any other regent candidate. He has been involved with University Medical Center budgeting for 24 years.
"I'm just better equipped by experience to address this matter," he said.
Baker said voters must consider such experience when casting their ballots because of the issue's importance. "(Health care) is the most serious financial issue facing the University," he said. "(Voters) are the ones paying the bills and the insurance and the ones that have to bring their loved ones to the hospitals."
Markus said experience is probably not a concern for most voters when choosing regents.
"Votes for regents are usually party-line votes," he said. "I don't know that voters think about (the University Medical Center) very much."
Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole said the American health care system is "the finest in the world," and is not in danger.
"Liberals have made health care a crisis," said Nicholas Kirk, president of the campus College Republicans.
Dole said Republicans are against government intervention in health care administration, unlike Democrats. He said the tax burden of any sort of government take-over of the health care industry would be disastrous.
Kirk said Clinton tried to increase government involvement in the health care industry before, and would likely do so again. "Bill Clinton will try again to take over 14 percent of the American economy," he said.
Their opposing ideas for the health care industry indicate a basic difference between himself and Clinton, Dole said. He criticized Clinton, saying the president would overspend on health care initiatives.
"He's an old-style, dyed-in-the-wool, big-spending liberal," Dole said in Detroit last month.
According to information provided by the Michigan Dole/Kemp campaign, Dole has a set agenda for health care. According to the statement, Dole is against forcing Americans into managed-care programs. He also supports both a 100-percent tax deduction for health insurance premiums for the self-employed and allowing small businesses to join together to buy health insurance at lower rates.
Dole wants to allow citizens to set up tax-free "medical savings accounts." He also supports medical malpractice reform.
For families providing long-term care, Dole supports a $1,000 deduction for people housing elderly parents or other relatives in their homes.
Unlike Dole, Clinton said the health care industry is in jeopardy and needs help, citing the fact that 40 million Americans are without health insurance as a sign of trouble.
Clinton said that during the past four years he has learned that changes to the health care industry need to be gradual and not sweeping. He said changes must be made to allow more citizens better access to health care.
"For working families to succeed in the new economy, they must be able to buy health insurance that they do not lose when they change jobs or when someone in their family gets sick," Clinton said in a statement. "We must do more to make quality health care available to every American."
Clinton said he has a strong record in terms of health care. His signing of the Kennedy-Kassebaum Bill, bi-partisan legislation which expanded and created protections for access to health insurance, as one example. He said his enacting the Family and Medical Leave Act, establishing the Childhood Immunization Initiative and dramatically increasing funding for breast cancer and AIDS research also exemplify his commitment to health care.
Clinton/Gore campaign officials said that like Dole, Clinton wants to increase the health care tax deduction for the self-employed and make health insurance more affordable through voluntary cooperatives. Officials also said Clinton plans to provide premium subsidies for up to six months for workers who lose their jobs.
Clinton also plans to further increase research funding, officials said.
Markus said battleground on the health care issues has already been won - by Clinton.
"It's been set for three months," Markus said. "The Clinton campaign was very effective in linking Bob Dole with prospective Medicare cuts and that rattled a lot of older voters."