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Fred Thompson on Health Care
Every American should be able to get health insurance coverage that is affordable, fully accessible, and portable. Coverage should meet their individual needs and put them in control. Those who propose a one-size-fits-all Washington-controlled program ignore the cost, inefficiency, and inadequate care that such a system offers. Access to affordable, portable health care can be made available for all Americans without imposing new mandates or raising taxes.
Campaign website, www.Fred08.com, "Issues" Sep 20, 2007
The poorest Americans are getting far better service than that. And there's nothing about Americans that would make us any better able to run a government health care bureaucracy than the Canadians or the British. In fact, we've got less practice at that sort of thing than they do -- and we might be a lot worse at it.
"The best way to improve the best health care you can get in the world--which is what we get here in the United States--is to expand choice."
Someone has to decide what costs are worth the money. It can be the government, the insurance company or it can be you. I think it is best if you, yourself decide what is best for you and your family, with insurance that doesn't have to depend on your employment--coverage that you can take with you if you change jobs; insurance that you may purchase from anywhere in the nation for the best value. This would be market driven and would make health insurance affordable for more Americans.
Candidacy announcement speech Sep 6, 2007
Americans have the best healthcare in the world. Some, however, choose not be insured; others cannot afford it. Current government programs must be streamlined and improved so that those who truly need help can get the health care they need. I am committed to a healthcare system that: - Creates a system around individual patients by providing more information and more opportunities to choose affordable health care options that best meet their needs and those of their families. - Shifts to a system that promotes cost-effective prevention, chronic-care management, and personal responsibility. - Modernizes delivery and administration of care by encouraging the widespread use of clinical best practices and medical information technology. - Increases competition and consumer choice while streamlining regulations through free-market solutions that benefit individuals and reduce costs for employers. - Promotes and speeds medical research and life-sciences innovation.
Campaign website, www.Fred08.com, "Issues" Sep 20, 2007
Someone has to decide what costs are worth the money. It can be the government, the insurance company or it can be you. I think it is best if you, yourself decide what is best for you and your family, with insurance that doesn't have to depend on your employment--coverage that you can take with you if you change jobs; insurance that you may purchase from anywhere in the nation for the best value. This would be market driven and would make health insurance affordable for more Americans.
Candidacy announcement speech Sep 6, 2007
"I am committed to a healthcare system that: increases competition and consumer choice while streamlining regulations through free-market solutions that benefit individuals and reduce costs for employers."
"Certainly children's health care insurance needs to be expanded and it can be done in different ways," Thompson says. "The president himself proposes a way to be done through the tax code." Thompson, like Bush, says some parents would opt to dump their private insurance in order to get the government-paid coverage for their kids. "People who, you know, would be in the $80,000 - $90,000 family income range -- possibly eligible for the alternative-minimum tax which was originally designed to hit rich people -- would be eligible to get a check for their children," Thompson says.
Voted YES on limiting self-employment health deduction. The Santorum (R-PA) amdt would effectively kill the Kennedy Amdt (D-MA) which would have allowed self-employed individuals to fully deduct the cost of their health insurance on their federal taxes.
Santorum Amdt #1234; Bill S. 1344 ; vote number 1999-202 on Jul 13, 1999
Voted NO on medical savings accounts. Vote to block a plan which would allow tax-deductible medical savings accounts.
Kassebaum Amdt #3677; Bill S. 1028 ; vote number 1996-72 on Apr 18, 1996
Someone has to decide what costs are worth the money. It can be the government, the insurance company or it can be you. I think it is best if you, yourself decide what is best for you and your family, with insurance that doesn't have to depend on your employment--coverage that you can take with you if you change jobs; insurance that you may purchase from anywhere in the nation for the best value. This would be market driven and would make health insurance affordable for more Americans.
Candidacy announcement speech Sep 6, 2007