[NYTr] Clinton Health Plan for Americans [sic] Only

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Andy Pollack

AP via Chicago Tribune - Oct 19, 2007
www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-clinton-health-care,0,5651491.story

Clinton Health Plan for Americans Only

By BETH FOUHY
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON--Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that
immigrants living in the U.S. illegally would not be covered by her
proposed universal health care plan.

The New York senator said she supports basic health services for
illegal immigrants, including hospitalization and treatment of acute
conditions. But she said the magnitude of the nation's health care
challenge means her universal coverage proposal would not cover the 12
million people living in the country illegally.

"People who are here legally deserve some better treatment and
acceptance in the law than people who are not here legally," she said.
"These are hard choices."

As for ways to reduce pressure on the overburdened health care system,
she said she could envision using "carrots and maybe a few sticks" to
motivate people to lose weight and make other behavioral changes that
could help.

Speaking at a forum sponsored by several health care organizations,
Clinton addressed a range of questions on the future of Social Security
and Medicare, racial and gender disparities in health care coverage and
ways to encourage medical students to become primary care doctors
rather than specialists.

Most of all, there were questions about her proposed $110 billion
health care plan and how it would bring order to a fractured system.

She didn't directly address questions of whether smokers or obese
people should pay more for health care but said as president she would
use the "bully pulpit" to encourage healthy lifestyle choices,
particularly among young people.

Clinton, who has publicly fretted about her weight, drew laughs as she
recalled competing for presidential physical fitness awards as a child.

"We were rounded up and taken to the gym where we had to jump and run.
I was horrible at it. They kept telling me to run and I'd say, 'I'm
running,'" she said. "It was a very strong message to children that the
president cares about your health care. I personally believed
Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy were sitting in the White House
signing my certificate."

The former first lady also spoke about her failure to enact universal
coverage during her husband's presidency, assuring audience members
that she would not repeat the mistakes that doomed that effort.

Among other things, she said it had been a mistake to try to draft the
plan out of the White House, and that as president she had no intention
of producing the specific legislation for Congress to consider.

"I'm setting goals for the country. But I know how important it is to
work out the details in consultation with the Congress," she said.

Clinton scoffed at suggestions from Republican presidential rivals that
her plan is little more than socialized medicine, calling them "old,
tired accusations."

The Republican National Committee said her "government-run health care
plan" would be paid for through hire taxes on hardworking people.

"Senator Clinton encourages people to lead healthy lifestyles, which
will occur as they run from her plan to socialize medicine, just as
they did in 1993," RNC spokesman Danny Diaz said.

Clinton acknowledged the need to bring a broad spectrum of interests
together in order to enact her proposed plan

"I think we'll have a very strong coalition that will be able to make
the case to Congress," she said. "Nobody will come out of this process
with 100 percent of what he or she wants."

Clinton also said the task would be made easier if more Democrats were
elected to the Senate in 2008.

"It's one of my highest priorities," she said.

Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press

                         ***

Daily Briefing/Advisory.com
	
Sen. Clinton highlights distinction 
between new health proposal, ‘93 effort

10/19/2007

Speaking yesterday at a presidential forum sponsored by Families USA
and the Federation of American Hospitals, Democratic presidential
candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) further clarified the goals of
her “American Health Choices Plan,” emphasizing that the proposal would
not replicate the mistakes that doomed her effort to enact universal
coverage during her tenure as first lady, the Associated Press reports.

In explaining her $110 billion universal coverage proposal (see related
stories in the Sept. 17 Daily Briefing and May 25 Daily Briefing),

Clinton said she believes “a sea change is occurring” in the nation’s
readiness for a new health care approach, adding that her plan would
offer individuals a variety of choices, including the chance to keep
their current health care coverage, while balancing public and private
sector responsibilities. While noting that “people who are here legally
deserve some better treatment and acceptance in the law,” Clinton also
clarified that her proposal would not extend coverage to undocumented
workers, although that population would be eligible for basic health
services such as emergency care. In addition, Clinton said she would
use the “bully pulpit” to encourage healthy lifestyle choices but did
not indicate whether smokers or obese individuals would be required to
pay more for health insurance.

In outlining her goals, Clinton drew clear distinctions between her new
proposal and her 1993 attempt at health care reform, asserting that she
now recognizes “how important it is to work out the details in
consultation with Congress” and would work with lawmakers to establish
a framework for universal coverage, empowering Congress to craft the
necessary legislation. CQ HealthBeat notes that while critics have said
Clinton’s plan would “add to the federal bureaucracy,” the senator said
those are “old, tired accusations,” adding that she is offering a
“sensible, centrist” approach to universal coverage (Fouhy, AP/Chicago
Tribune, 10/19 [registration required]; Agnes Carey, CQ HealthBeat,
10/18 [subscription required]; Kenen, Reuters, 10/18).