Florida Health Insurance * Republicans View On Health Insurance

Florida has millions of individuals going without health insurance, due to the high cost.. Democracts feel their must be a Universal Health Care Plan, while Republicans think Health Care is just perfect the way it is. What can we as Americans do to fix the broken Health Care system? How many jobs does the Health Care Industry bring to our economy?

Jacksonville, Florida

September 27, 2007 -- Florida Health Insurance Web, in its continuing series, examines the 2008 presidential race and its impact on the State of Florida and how the election may effect Florida Health Insurance benefits and available rates. Morgan Moran in a phone interview said the "sadly the Republican candidates offer little to help Florida's uninsured." Insurance consultant Moran said, If you're one of the tens of million Americans without coverage, or if you don't like the coverage you have, "next November you will have a chance to pick the person who will deliver the best health care plan." So far, "the Democrats seem to be winning the health insurance debate.



We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funded through ever-higher taxes.
Last night Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton spoke about her health care plan which, according to Moran, "gives the choice of health insurance plans to pick from and, Clinton said her insurance coverage plans will be affordable." Clinton also said, if you like the health insurance plan you currently have, you can keep it, or switch to a less expensive plan.

On the other side of the isle, Republicans are pointing to terror and border security rather than addressing Americas health care crisis.

Republican Senator John McCain's website John McCain under 'the issues', fails to mention healthcare, Moran said, instead of giving America a health plan; "McCain is focusing on 'fighting Islamic Extremists, Government Spending, Border Security, and Iraq." To be fair, McCain is not the only Republican ignoring healthcare. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has posted nothing about health insurance in his bid for the White House. His Join Rudy web site says, the issues for the upcoming election are: Fiscal Discipline, Cutting Taxes, Winning the War on Terror, Iraq, Public Safety, Judges, Education, The Right to Bear Arms and Marriage.

Governor Mitt Romney, on his 'True Strength for America's Future' website Mitt Romney has his list of campaign issues as: Defeating the Jihadists, Competing with Asia, Taxes, Immigration, Energy, Education and yes, finally, Healthcare. In USA Today, July 5, 2005 Romney said, "We can't have 40 million people saying, 'I don't have insurance', and if I get sick, I want someone else to pay." Individuals have responsibility for their own health care. Romney went on to say "The health of our nation can be improved by extending health insurance to all Americans, not through a government program or new taxes, but through market reforms."

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's campaign said, "The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken, in part because it is only a 'health care' system, not a 'health' system." Huckabee said, "We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funded through ever-higher taxes." We can make health care more affordable by reforming medical liability; adopting electronic record keeping; making health insurance more portable from one job to another; expanding health savings accounts to everyone, not just those with high deductibles; and making health insurance tax deductible for individuals and families as it now is for businesses, the Gov said.

Senator Sam Brownback on his web site said the "healthcare system will thrive with increased consumer choice, consumer control and real competition." Brownback went on to say "I will continue to work at the forefront to create a consumer-centered, not government-centered, healthcare model that offer both affordable coverage choices and put the consumer in the driver's seat."

Congressmen Tom Tancredo stand on health care focuses on the uninsured. Tancredo said, "The two major problems are the high cost of care and the number of uninsured." Tort reform and immigration enforcement would save the system billions and drive down costs. As for the uninsured: as many as 25% of them are illegal aliens and should be deported or encouraged to leave. For citizens and legal residents who are employed by businesses which cannot afford coverage, "Tancredo favors association health plans which band small businesses together to access lower cost insurance." For those out of work, state governments should be the primary source of relief, although I would not rule out federal incentives or limited subsidies to make sure families who have fallen on hard times are not without coverage.

About Florida Health Insurance Web
Florida Health Insurance Web is a Florida health insurance consulting service. Find out about health insurance from the experts in a free online or phone consultation. You can get insurance quotes, search rates online by city, read current insurance news and events. Florida Health Insurance Consultants, best rates and free quotes, please contact Morgan Moran @ Florida health insurance web.

Jacksonville, Florida health insurance * Letters from our readers

Jacksonville, Florida health insurance examination continues

Letters from readers......

Every candidate of this years presidential election seems to be offering a program for Universal Health Care. Why does that seem to be the main topic of this years campaign?

The latest report from the Census Bureau said that 16 percent of Americans do not have health care coverage, which means that 84 percent do.

But, the report also stated that the 45 percent of "Americans" who do not have coverage are "noncitizens," i.e., not Americans.

So, actually, about 91 percent of Americans have health care coverage. Of the remaining 9 percent, the report stated that most are young people who choose not to have coverage. Where's the crisis?

Our politicians should be focusing on a plan that will cover the small number of uninsured Americans who want coverage but can't afford it. They should not try to create a new government-run program that we will all be forced to participate in at tremendous expense.

SCOTT SANBORN

Orange Park, Florida health insurance

HEALTH INSURANCE

Program can cover children

If the federal State Children's Health Insurance Program is allowed to end, 250,000 children in Florida are at risk of losing health insurance on Sept. 30.

With bipartisan support, a House-Senate compromise has been reached that will extend the program for the next five years, and expand coverage to 3.3 million more children than are currently insured.

However, the president has stated he will veto any legislation that calls for expanded coverage for America's children.

Since 1997, SCHIP has successfully provided health insurance to millions of U.S. children. Today, nearly 7 million American children are insured through the program.

Even with passage of the Senate-House compromise, 4 million American children will remain uninsured.

With respect to Florida's SCHIP program, we have the worst record in the country for insuring our children; 550,000 of our children are uninsured.

Legislative and administrative barriers to eligibility and enrollment have resulted in a 50 percent decrease in the number of our children receiving health insurance.

We have sent hundreds of millions of our dollars back to Washington - money that has been used to insure children in other states.

If the Bush administration's plan is enacted, it will have a compounding impact on our children, as federal funding would be capped at the amount we are currently spending.

Please contact your federal legislators immediately to let them know if you support expanding health insurance coverage to 3 million to 6 million more of our children or the Bush administration's plan to cap current coverage.

Also, please contact our state delegation, the Senate president and House speaker to let them know if you are satisfied with the current status of Florida's uninsured children. The president's plan will decrease these numbers even further.

JEFF GOLDHAGEN,

pediatrician,

Jacksonville

JEA

Don't approve bonuses

I have said many times that JEA needs to look at costs before raising rates.

JEA is spending over $6 million on advertising to inform us about how to conserve energy. Due to the cost, the majority of JEA customers conserve energy and water already.

Now we are being told that JEA is prepared to give out bonuses in the amount of $8 million to JEA employees for doing their job. Some of these bonuses will be paid to the same executives who cannot seem to contain costs.

An executive for JEA stated that the bonuses are one-half of the $16 million that JEA saved. Well, simple math tells you that $16 million plus $8 million is $24 million in savings.

In addition, JEA wants to add a 3 percent franchise fee to help the city. How much of that $8 million would go toward helping the city?

The bottom line is, the JEA board should not consider paying any bonuses when rate increases and fees are being added to JEA customers' utility bills. I hope the JEA board has the sense to not approve the bonus payouts and save the $8 million.

ANDY RUSNAK

Jacksonville

TRUANCY

All students need ID

Why is my child, who attends a public school, required to carry a photo ID but home-schooled students do not?

I am a security professional. It just seems to make all jobs harder, because if children or teenagers are in a business during school hours, they claim they are home-schooled and it is hard to disprove.

I am not picking on the home-school program. I am trying to protect it from truant students who attempt to abuse it.

I think photo identification from the School Board, with emergency contact information, would greatly eliminate wasted time by truant officers and businesses trying to stop truancy by having to verify a student's status.

If the School Board wants to help curb truancy, then please help those trying to stop truancy by allowing them to easily identify home-schooled students. Stop those truant students who try to abuse the program.

SHEILA DOYLE

Jacksonville

Florida Health Insurance News Flash * Universal Health * Hillary Clinton's Plan

The debate on universal health care is heating up. What do you think about Hillary Clinton's plan for Universal Health Care? Do you currently have a health insurance policy? Please give us your opinion!!!


Clinton Calls for Universal Health Care
By BETH FOUHY – 12 hours ago

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton called for universal health care on Monday, plunging back into the bruising political battle she famously waged and lost as first lady on an issue that looms large in the 2008 presidential race.

"This is not government-run," the party's front-runner said of her plan to extend coverage to an estimated 47 million Americans who now go without.

Her declaration was a clear message to Republicans, the insurance industry, businesses and millions of voters who nervously recall what sank her effort at health care reform 13 years ago in her husband's first term — fear of a big-government takeover.

In unveiling her plan, she called for a requirement for businesses to obtain insurance for employees, and said the wealthy should pay higher taxes to help defray the cost for those less able to pay for it. She put the government's cost at $110 billion a year.

Mindful of the lessons of her failed attempt, Clinton said that under her new plan anyone who is content with their health coverage can keep what they have. She insisted no new government bureaucracy would be created even as it seeks to cover tens of millions uninsured.

"I know my Republican opponents will try to equate health care for all Americans with government-run health care," Clinton said. "Don't let them fool us again. This is not government-run."

The New York senator said her plan would require every American to purchase insurance, either through their jobs or through a program modeled on Medicare or the federal employee health plan. Businesses would be required to offer insurance or contribute to a pool that would expand coverage. Individuals and small businesses would be offered tax credits to make insurance more affordable.

"I believe everyone — every man, woman and child — should have quality, affordable health care in America," Clinton told an audience at a medical center in Iowa, the early voting state that launches the nomination process.

As the front-runner, Clinton drew swift criticism from Democratic and Republican rivals, including party foes Bill Richardson and John Edwards who argued she was merely following their lead in offering a similar plan.

Clinton framed her quest as a moral imperative in which individuals, businesses, the insurance industry and the federal government each had a role to play. She said her plan would be bipartisan and would only be successful through negotiation — a sharp departure from her earlier effort.

Then, the Clinton health care task force met in secret and tried to drive legislation through Congress. Now, Clinton, a senator for seven years, spoke of compromise although she vowed to accomplish her goal in her first term if elected.

"She's running against essentially not just the other candidates but her own plan. She's trying to convince you that this is a new Clinton plan," said Robert Blendon, a professor of public health at Harvard Medical School.

To pay for her plan, Clinton said the tax cuts for Americans making $250,000 or more that were enacted under President Bush would be allowed to expire. She also projected she would identify $56 billion in savings through computerized record keeping, reducing the price of prescription drugs and cutting Medicare overpayments to hospitals and HMOs.

Despite the focus on letting people who are happy with their insurance keep what they have, her plan would raise taxes on some coverage for the wealthy.

The current exclusion from taxes of employer-provided health premiums would be limited for those who make more than $250,000 and have "very generous" plans. For such people, a portion of the premiums paid by the employer could become taxable income for the employee.

Joking that her proposals "won't make me the insurance industry's woman of the year," Clinton said companies would no longer be able to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or genetic predisposition to certain illnesses.

The centerpiece of Clinton's latest effort is the so-called "individual mandate," requiring everyone to have health insurance just as most states require drivers to purchase auto insurance. Such a mandate has detractors at both ends of the political spectrum, and questions abound over how it would be enforced.

"Perhaps more than anybody else I know just how hard this fight will be," said the New York senator.

Clinton adviser Laurie Rubiner said the mandate could be enforced in a number of ways, such as denying certain tax deduction to those who refused to buy insurance. But she stressed that a specific mechanism would be worked out once the plan was passed.

Rival John Edwards has also offered a plan that includes an individual mandate, while the proposal outlined by Barack Obama does not. Obama has insisted individuals can't be forced to buy insurance until its costs are substantially reduced.

Obama released a statement Monday saying Clinton's plan is similar to one he proposed in the spring. He took a swipe at the Clinton administration's closed-door sessions on health care in the 1990s, saying "the real key to passing any health care reform is the ability to bring people together in an open, transparent process that builds a broad consensus for change."

For his part, Edwards said that on his first day in office he will submit legislation that would pull health insurance for the president, members of Congress and all political appointees unless they pass universal health care within six months.

Republican Mitt Romney, in New York City for a fundraising stop, criticized Clinton's proposal, saying, "'Hillary care' continues to be bad medicine ... in her plan, we have Washington-managed health care. Fundamentally, she takes her inspiration from European bureaucracies."

The plan that Romney helped institute while governor of Massachusetts requires the same individual insurance mandate as Clinton's and uses state subsidies to help reduce the cost of private coverage. Since then, Romney has said he would leave it up to the states to decide whether they supported such a mandate.

Campaigning in Florida, Republican Rudy Giuliani said Clinton's plans was a "pretty clear march to socialized medicine."

"Government command and control only increases costs and decreases quality," the former New York mayor said. "My approach is to encourage people to buy their own health insurance ... give people incentives to buy health insurance, not demand that they do it."


Associated Press writers Ashley M. Heher in Chicago, Curt Anderson in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Nedra Pickler in Washington contributed to this report.