Health Care Coverage Should Be Universal

1.       Health care coverage should be universal: Only by making coverage universal for all people living in the United States will the sizeable gap in coverage that persists be closed.

 

                                Grading Rubric 

A	B	C	D	F	Truant
Goal is 100% coverage of all persons living in the U.S., including undocumented persons. Plan's ambition is to achieve its goal within 4 years of implementation.	Goal is to cover all U.S. citizens, but excludes undocumented persons and permanent residents or imposes a waiting time for them. Plan's ambition is to achieve its goals within 4 years of implementation.	Goal is to cover more than half of the currently uninsured, but not all. Plan's ambition is to achieve its goals within 4 years of implementation.	Goal is to cover more, but less than half of the currently uninsured. Plan's ambition is to achieve its goals within 4 years of implementation.	Goal is to cover more of the uninsured, but does not specify how many and the likelihood is that less than a third of the currently uninsured would gain coverage or that the plan would not achieve its goals within 4 years of implementation.	No plan is offered.

 

Criteria for review:  No one should be excluded from insurance coverage based on poor health status, a pre-existing condition or chronic illness. There should be few or no administrative barriers to obtaining or renewing insurance. Health insurance coverage should be guaranteed to all persons in the United States.

 

Democrats

 

Obama: C 

The Obama plan includes an individual mandate for children, but not adults.  This plan includes the creation of a new national health plan with guaranteed eligibility open to individuals without access through their employer, the self-employed and small businesses.  Additionally, a National Health Insurance Exchange will be created to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan.  Private plans in the Exchange must offer coverage to anyone who applies and pays a fair premium, regardless of any pre-existing medical condition.  Employers must offer health insurance to employees, contribute to employee purchased plans or pay a payroll tax.  Medicaid and SCHIP will be expanded. The Obama plan gets a C because it will cover all American children, but not adults, and it does not specify if it will also cover undocumented persons and permanent residents.

 

Republicans

 

 

McCain: C 

The McCain plan states "we can and must provide access to health care for all our citizens", however, it neither mandates that coverage nor does it prohibit private insurance plans from denying coverage.  The plan calls for increasing insurance plan choices, increasing competition among insurance plans, income tax credits and the expansion of health savings accounts.  The plan gets a C grade because it is silent on undocumented persons and although it states that all citizens must be covered, it does not require guaranteed insurability by insurance plans or individual mandates that could make universal coverage achievable in a four-year timeframe.