Obama Officials Say Health Plan Has Republican Ideas
In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Health Reform Office director Nancy-Ann DeParle identified the Republican-backed ideas in Obama’s health plan along with the lawmakers who supported them.
Here are some of those ideas:
- Letting people save on health insurance premiums if they participate in proven employer wellness programs: Representative Mike Castle of Delaware
- Giving states grants to evaluate medical liability models that can improve patient safety, reduce medical errors and bring down liability premiums: Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming
- Eliminate caps on benefits: Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
- State-based, health insurance marketplaces where families will be able to easily compare insurance policies to find the one that’s best for them: Senators Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Richard Burr of North Carolina
- Ban discrimination based on pre-existing conditions: Coburn and Burr
- Tax credits to help middle-class families afford health insurance plans: Expanded version of idea backed by Enzi
- Pooled purchasing options for small businesses: Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine
- Permit people to buy insurance across state lines: Representatives Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Mark Kirk of Illinois
- Temporary high-risk insurance pool to protect uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions: Senator John McCain of Arizona and House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio
(Writing by David Alexander; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
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