Participants at the Mayo Clinic National Symposium on Health Care Reform submitted several questions for the representatives of the Clinton, McCain and Obama campaigns, far more than could be addressed in the limited time available for Q&A. The complete list of questions is below (click the Read More link to see them.) We will invite the candidate representatives to respond.
- Have the Presidential Candidates made a commitment to:
A- The provision of health care for all children?
B- Ensure health care coverage and access for children in low income families?
C- Ensure access to affordable health care coverage to children in middle income families who currently are not offered employer based health insuraance or who can not afford exising plans?
- With respect to universal coverage and the question of whether consumer should be mandated to have insurance…. It would seem that in order for a consumer to comply with such a mandate, affordable health plan options have to be available to participate in. What has each candidate identified as his/her strategy to ensure affordable, quality health plan options?
- Everyone owns a piece of this problem and everyone needs to contribute to its solution ie the development of a true patient focused, integrated, health improving health care SYSTEM. What if anything do each of candidates propose to “mandate” from other stakeholders to achieve this? What do they propose be mandated of providers, physicians, health plans, medical and pharmacy suppliers, government, etc?
- What has been the commitment of the candates to work with states and local communities?
- Do you think long-term care will be part of the current health care debate? If not, why not? It seems that you can’t reform health care without also looking at long term care.
- Recognizing that DC politicians may never allow another DC politician to succeed in health care reform, what role do states play in advancing quality health care reform?
- Given that health care reform must occur, what is the political “third rail” that must be avoided to assure that change is not “dead on arrival”?
- It seems some try to equate universal health care to “govt single payer” health care… This seems an attempt to muddy the water and scare people. Does the panel believe universal health care, that is care for all human beings by multiple payer systems, is achieveable within the next five years with a Democratic 111th Congress and either a Republican or Democratic administration?
- Steve, you nailed it. Thanks! How much do you think reform should focus on costs vs. coverage. My guess your answer would be is as much as possible for each, but would the chances for reform increase by focusing on reducing the costs for people who have coverage?
- Is there a will on the part of special interests such as AARP to address a health care plan that will cover children with the same level of coverage that is available for the elderly?
- The Federal Employees Health Benefit program covers ALL federal employees, including hardworking mailclerks, not just members of Congress. What coverage in this system does Mr. Pearlstein think is unaffordable for the rest of the population?
- I wonder if Steve Pearlstein or any of the other panel members have seen the future in any working models … If so where are they and how can we all participate in these models so the country can benefit and we can get this trian out of the station. Or is it simply to hard to move against the tide of dollars gained by “doing more” rather than doing “what is right…”
- 100% of Americans are underinsured and as soon as a person in the US becomes ill, they are victimized at their most vulnerable time. A healthy society understands that we are all responsible for each other and depend on each other. And yet there are businesses and associations that have attacked the political process in such a way to successfully stop a humane health care system. How can we trust that until we stand up against those forces that we will succeed?
- What does Dr. McGlynn mean by having a discussion about winners and losers- in advance of the process? How would that work? Why would it be good?
- Mr. Pearlstein, your newspaper covered the National Press Club rollout of the AMA’s high-profile “Voice for the Uninsured” campaign in August. We have gone nationwide with the campaign and we are asking for a solution to insure everyone. We have offered our own plan, and we want to be part of the uniquely American solution that will emerge. Even Michael Moore, when I met him to talk about “Sicko” said, “This is not the old AMA!” I was the only person from the AMA invited to this forum, by the way.
- Senator Clinton has come out with a statement about services and supports for family caregivers. What do the other candidates have to say about the role of family caregivers in the care of persons with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities and how they plan to support and assist family caregivers.
- A question for the McCain camp. Old ideas like tax breaks and HSA’s will not work for true health care reform – particulalry for people with chronic disease. Specifically, how does Mr. McCain plan to decrease the number of the uninsured and equally important provide better care options for the working class and those whom tax breaks are silly ideas.
- Q to all candidates’ reps– Improving the science of healthcare delivery is one of the main thrusts of the Mayo plan. What will your candidate do to advance the science of healthcare delivery?
- Follow-on question: what would your candidate do to advance other aspects of research for health?
- It seems like mandating coverage is common sense, just like for those who drive a car. Why is this not a very smart first step and if it doesn’t work – what is the option besides old broken ideas like tax breaks or health savings accounts?
- McCain’s representative effectively stated that the patient is to blame for their condition and that that drain on medical insurance is apparently a significant reason that we are in the health care mess we are in now. As a person who took care of herself until I fell victim to a disease for which I have no control, Leukemia, I am insulted.
- Wouldn’t one way to lower health care costs be to foster more competition among drug companies where costs have run rampant?
- To any candidate–as we reform is there a recognition that Medicare does not reimburse costs and this is one reason (not the only one) why costs are higher for those under 65. SHould those over 65 pay for more for health care if they can afford it?Isn’t instiituting price controls on drug prices a realistic method to lower drug care costs?
- How do we provide coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions? There is no profit in covering these patients. What role does government play in covering these patients?
- Democrats: How are you going to pay for your proposals without more taxes? BTW – taking “waste” out of the system won’t work
- McCain: How can you promise vigorous competition in the insurance market when most of the country has 2-4 dominant insurers in the local market? Will the Feds create new health insurers?
- Although everyone says there is waste in the system, that waste, however, is someone’s income or revenue. How will we best deal with taking out that waste?
- For McCain – what is the single biggest legislative accomplishment of Sen. McCain in the health care area?
- McCain: What makes you say that the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act is a failure? It is not even a year old in effect, by what measure can you make that claim? As someone from Mass, I see it as a work in progress and it’s too soon to make a judgement about it.
- I do believe we have more than 8 physicians in the audience. Would you ask for a show of hands?
- I’m 36 years old. Since I’ve been 26 years old, I have been unable to purchase health insurance, not because of the price, but because no health insurance company will sell me a health insurance product at any price due to my medical diagnosis. How will a President Clinton, President McCain or a President Obama health insurance program/system help guarantee that I can buy health insurance and help me afford access to quality, comprehensive health care?
- Is Senator Obama definitive when he says if we want reform, he wants it?
- One area not being included in the discussion and proces thus far is the role and availability for homeopathic, chiropractic, accupuncture, aryeuvadic, and eastern medical philsophies and practices integrated with western medicine. Please address.
- Is the only way to get a better health care system getting an airline ticket to another country? All other developed countries do not allow people who get sick to be victimized again by a system that preys on the most vulnerable with piles of bills, denial letters, bankruptcy, lack of centers of excellence. Who will stand up against the insurance companies and provider associations to get a humane system?
- Could you discuss patient/family centered medicine vs doctor directed defensive medicine?
- Will Hillary Clinton succeed at beating back the insurance companies and other anti-health care groups this time?
- There are 54 million Americans with disabilities, 70% are unemployed, and the vast majority are unemployed due to their fear of the loss of Medicaid or Medicare and the impact of that on their health care access. What will your candidate do to improve access to health care for people with disabilities? Also, what will your candidate do to insure access to preventative care for children and adults with disabilities?
- How does each of the canidates view the role of the patient in their care (how involved, and how to advocate for their own best care)?
- For McCain – disease specific research is important and when not adequete can be directed effectively by Congress. Would Sen. McCain support disease specific research and “earmarks” as a president?
- How does your candidate view the role of public health in health system reform?
- Will McCain’s representative please point out who in this room should not get health care? And which of us fatties are to blame for a busted health care system?
- Deciding that some of the most experienced and evidence-based health care advocates groups will be out seems way off base – we’ve been working on guarenteed quality care for all for years – would you like to rethink that?
- Other countries make sure their citizens get health care when they need it regardless of how it is funded. In our country we claim that the uninsured are a set number, when in reality everyone is liable to lose health care or to be bankrupted by it.
- Please describe the candidate’s solutions to the unique health care challenges faced by American Indian populations in this country.
- Many of us in the disease advocacy community have been evidence based and been advocating for guaranteed quality health care for all for years – assuming we cannot think analytically or beyond our issues on this is short-sighted. How would we receive quality care for our issues without supporting reform? do you want to rethink counting us out of the equation?
- What is the role of states in reform?
- There is a model that works. Actually several: Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea.
- For Senator Clinton’s representative: You made the comment that the majority of Americans are satisfied with our health care system. This morning a Harris Poll showed that the majority of Americans are very dissatisfied with their current health care system. How can we as Americans be positive the candidates will be able to effect a successful health care policy, when they are so out of touch with what the American people want?
- Why are moderators too scared to talk about how great other countries deal with providing health care and without ruining their citizens economically as opposed to in the US?
- Why is Hillary Clinton the only candidate that wants everyone to have health care?
- Other countries get better outcomes with less money. We can afford better care, we dont need to treat people worse to great a universal system. Stop spreading this falsehood.
- The reason that Massachusetts project is in jeopardy is because health insurance companies view it as dangerous to provide care for everyone.
- People don’t want to have the choice of no coverage. Take away that choice.
- Other countries have better health care delivery systems. Fortunately those countries have citizens that have beaten back the forces against health care coverage unlike in the US. Which candidate is willing to help citizens win here in the US?
- How do you define ‘universal care’? how do the undocumented play in?
- You mentioned most people are satisfied for their present insurance. I would have to wonder if that is because many of them don’t need it yet. If the DME benefit limit is $1500 and someone has a spinal cord injury they may no longer be as happy wuth their cover. Many employers offer policies from only one company which repeat many of the problem sand don’t really provide true
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