Governor Mike Huckabee has outlined some guiding principles for health care reform. These principles do not constitute a formal plan, like Senator Clinton's proposal, but they do give us an idea of what Huckabee is likely to do regarding health care if elected.
Governor Huckabee believes that:
- Our nation should focus more on "health" than "health care." This means that preventive care should be a priority. Governer Huckabee can personally vouch for the benefits of preventive care, not only on health spending, but also on health outcomes. After he was diagnosed with diabetes in 2002, he adopted healthful lifestyle habits and lost 110 pounds, improving his blood glucose levels to the point that he no longer needed medication to control it. He supports improving preventive care as a way to reduce health spending.
- America doesn't need a federal universal health care system. Huckabee opposes "socialized" medicine. Instead, he believes that comprehensive reform should be implemented by the states and the private sector. The federal government's role should be to facilitate state and private efforts in creating a more effective system.
- Individuals should have more control over their health care options. Huckabee believes that the job-based coverage system should be abandoned for individual coverage that stays with a person no matter where - or whether - they work. He advocates for a consumer-based health care system instead, where the private sector can offer Americans numerous options for coverage based on their individual needs.
Overall, Huckabee's proposal is similar to other Republican proposals in that it limits the federal government's role in reform. Huckabee believes that this will help keep health costs low by removing the administrative burdens associated with a more comprehensive universal coverage plan like the one proposed by Senator Clinton. For example, it would cost money to track whether all individuals and businesses are complying with insurance mandates, or to create a Medicare-like public insurance option for those who do not wish to purchase coverage in the private sector.
Instead, voters can anticipate that if Huckabee were elected President, he would favor a consumer-based system. He believes that this would increase the competitiveness of our businesses and allow people to obtain coverage that stays with them as they move from job to job. Furthermore, Huckabee believes that limiting government regulation would help private insurers develop more affordable products and offer them to more individuals.
Sources:
Mike Huckabee For President. "Issues - Health Care." Sep. 2007. Squires, Sally. "The Governor is a Happy Loser."washingtonpost.com 10 Aug. 2004.
