Not to beat a dead horse, but this subject is probably more important
(to me anyway) than debates about WMD or unjustified wars.

It *could* be the difference between a vote for Kerry or not.

Harry,

You have stated that Kerry’s plan is modeled on that offered to federal
employees.

What was Hillary chartered to do when Bill Clinton was first elected and
why was she pulled off that task after a few short months and the whole
subject was allowed to drop?

Because it could never work and would bankrupt the country. The costs of
the war in Iraq would look like chump change.

What is Kerry proposing that is any different?

I am not closing my mind. I am seriously interested in this subject and
would strongly support a candidate that truly had a solution. So far,
Kerry has teased with a promise, IMHO, but has failed to outline a plan
that could really work.

I was talking to my elderly mother yesterday. She has always voted
republican (to the best of my knowledge) but indicated she was leaning
towards Kerry ONLY because he has promised affordable health care for
everyone.

I wish I could assure her that his promise was good. I am not convinced.

Basic highlights of Kerry’s health plan.

1) All families would be allowed to buy into the same health insurance plan
that is available to members of Congress. Nobody
would be *required* to buy into the plan, but it would create an option for
families that currently do not qualify for any “group” plan.

There would be no “mandatory” federal plan, and companies and individuals would
be free to remain with existing providers.

2) President Kerry will propose a 50% tax credit (better than a deduction,
obviously) for small businesses that offer health insurance to employees. About
five million employed Americans have lost their family’s health insurance
entirely during the last four years because their employers say they can no
longer afford to pay the employer’s portion of premium costs. If taxes are
reduced by 50-cents for every dollar spent to provide health care coverage for
employees, more businesses would be able to afford to do so.

3) President Kerry will press for tax credits for certain individuals paying
for their own health insurance- including individuals 55-64 and those between
jobs.

4) President Kerry will favor reducing the number of frivolous lawsuits in the
health care industry, specifically proposing a “three strikes” rule that would
prevent any attorney with a record of three frivolous malpractice lawsuits from
bringing another
suit for ten years. A panel of qualified medical specialists will examine any
unsuccessful lawsuit to determine whether it had merit, or was frivolous.

5) President Kerry will overturn the provisions of the Medicare bill that
forbid the government from negotiating those prescription drug prices paid by
Medicare funds with the major drug companies. President Kerry will allow
Americans to import drugs from Canada or other low-risk foreign countries.

6) Independent expert analyst Ken Thorpe of Emory University has calculated
that President Kerry’s plan will cost a total of $653 billion over the next ten
years. A roll back of the Bush tax cut for the top 1.4% of American families,
(those earning over $200k a year), will raise $860 billion during the same
period of time. The difference can be used to reduce the deficit or fund
education.

7) A good portion of Kerry’s plan is proactive, rather than reactive. He
supports
a resumption in stem cell research to help discover cures for many of the
expensive, debilitating diseases that drive up our health insurance costs. This
needs to be completely understood… the additional stem cell lines would be
available if there were *never* another abortion performed in the US. Fertility
clinics are throwing away lots of material that is not, and will never become,
any fraction of a “human being” even by the strictest definitions.