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Dennis Kucinich on Health Care
Under my plan for not-for-profit health care, system, single payer, universal, Medicare for all, long-term care is totally covered. People should not be locked into these higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles, which are destroying people's economic capabilities. So under the plan that I have, if someone has AIDS, they're totally covered. Under the plan that I have, if anyone needs long-term care for any kind of an illnesses, they're totally covered. And the fact of the matter is, we already are paying for a universal standard of care; we're just not getting it.
2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues Aug 9, 2007
In Congress, Representative Dennis Kucinich has co-authored HR 676, legislation which would establish Medicare for All - a universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care system that leaves no American behind.
At least 30 percent of the $3.2 trillion spent annually for health care in the United States goes to the for-profit system while 50 million Americans, many of them working, are without health insurance. About $660 billion goes for corporate profits, executive salaries, stock options, advertising, marketing, and the cost of paperwork. If we took all that money and we put it into a public health system, a national health care plan, we would have enough money to cover everything for everyone, all medically necessary care, including dental care, vision care, mental health care, prescription drug and long-term care.
Q: What are you planning to do to help Americans have affordable health care premiums? KUCINICH: The problem with our health care system--premiums, co-pays and deductibles which for-profit insurance companies run through the roof. I'm the cosponsor of the Conyers-Kucinich bill, H.R. 676, provides for universal, not-for-profit health care, takes that $2.2 trillion and puts it all into health care for people. We are already paying for a universal system of health care. We're just not getting it.
South Carolina 2007 Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC Apr 26, 2007
It is time to take the for-profit insurance companies out of the business and have a not-for-profit health care where everyone's covered.
2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University Jun 28, 2007
"I cannot support legislation [State Children Health Insurance Plan] which extends health coverage to some children while openly denying it to other children," Kucinich said. "This legislation is woefully inadequate: and I will not support it. Legal immigrant children deserve the same quality health care as other children receive. It is Congress' responsibility to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. Today, we did exactly the opposite. HR 676 [the bill Kucinich has offered] guarantees full health care coverage for all children. When considering a universal health care proposal, HR 676, the Medicare for All bill, is the only health care plan that addresses three important issues: quality, accessibility, and cost. HR 676 stands alone in an increasingly crowded field of efforts to provide health care coverage to all," Kucinich said.
Every other [candidate's] health care plan keeps the private insurers in charge. I'm the only one who challenges this system of premiums, co-pays and deductibles.
2007 Democratic primary debate on "This Week" Aug 19, 2007
Q: How, if at all, would you change the new prescription drug benefit for the elderly? KUCINICH: I will include complete coverage of prescription drugs in a single-payer plan that provides every man, woman, and child with comprehensive health coverage from whatever doctors they choose, and does so through a tax on employers that is lower than what employers who now provide coverage pay on average.
Associated Press policy Q&A, "Medicare" Jan 25, 2004
The pharmaceutical companies and the insurance companies control our health care system. I've introduced legislation that provides for a totally new change; that has health care for people, not for profit. It's called Medicare For All. It's a single-payer program. And it's financed by a 7.7% tax paid by employers. And it covers everything. It covers all medically necessary procedures and a wide range of benefits.
Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan Sep 25, 2003