Bush, Gore officials outline health plans

By Jeremy W. Peters

Daily Staff Reporter

With health care continually ranking highly among voters' top priorities for the upcoming presidential election, both Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore have made the issue a focus of their campaigns.

Michigan Department of Community Health Director James Haveman, Bush's health policy coordinator and Richard Boxer, Gore's health policy coordinator, outlined the highlights of their candidate's plans at a forum addressing health care reform Friday at the School of Public Heath.

Bush's plan is centered on increased access to health care and more individual autonomy while Gore's plan aims at universal coverage and more funding for Medicare.

"Governor Bush believes ... that there should be universal access to health care. Quality, affordable health care should be available to all citizens," Haveman said. "Health care systems should be patient driven and not government run," he said, adding that Bush intends to eliminate much of the "federal bureaucracy" that engulfs the system and give states more freedom over their policies.

Medicare reform, he said, is a cornerstone of the Bush health care policy. "We believe very strongly that just to dump more money into Medicare could be a big mistake."

Bush, he said, "doesn't want to burden the next generation with a program that is not working well today. If there is enough money in until 2023 to run a broken system, let's fix it now." In addition, Bush supports a Patient's Bill of Rights very similar to the one implemented in his own state.

"The Patient's Bill of Rights in Texas is probably the most forceful one at a state level. People can go outside the plan and the HMO pays. Also, if they're not happy they can sue. It's ... very progressive."

Boxer was on hand to present the vice president's plan. In contrast to Bush' plan, which suggests universal access to health care, Gore advocates universal coverage. "The vice president's net goal is to have universal health coverage, but he realizes that this can't be done immediately. That is why we favor expanding coverage incrementally," Boxer said.

"There is a major difference between universal access and universal coverage," he added. "The access is there, but people don't use it."

Boxer outlined Gore's seven point health care proposal. Gore would ensure every child is insured by 2005, expand coverage for working parents, invest $30 billion per year into Medicare and allow those between the ages of 55 to 65 to buy into the program. Gore would add prescription drug benefits to Medicare and he would push for the passage of a Patient's Bill of Rights. Lastly, Gore would make health care more affordable for individuals and small businesses though tax credits.

University Vice President for Medical Affairs Gilbert Omenn said he felt that neither of the candidates' plans addresses the problems the medical community faces in the 21st Century.

Omenn said he believes the two most pressing health care issues are insuring the uninsured and focusing more attention on preventative medicine.

"There is a special role of the academic medical center which is research. We should apply what we know and be humbled by what we don't know. I don't think either one has addressed preventative health care," he said.

Omenn suggested that Bush and Gore look to former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley's health care proposal.

Mary Heldring, Bradley's health policy coordinator, said the senator's plan centered on preventative care.