Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) outlined her plan for universal healthcare at an Oct. 18 presidential forum on healthcare held by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Clinton's American Health Choices Plan will offer quality, affordable healthcare, she said. Rebuffing her Republican opponents, Clinton said her plan is not government-run and doesn't create a new bureaucracy. "So I welcome the opportunity to debate it," she said
According to Clinton, her plan will allow Americans to keep private insurance and preferred providers, just as federal employees can under the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan. It will also provide the choice of a public plan like Medicare that will provide a stable, competitive alternative to private insurance, she said. Either choice will guarantee no denial of coverage, affordability and portability, she assured.
"I've included the public plan option because of Americans want it. I believe in choice and competition," Clinton said. "Let's see what happens."
Clinton said her plan will not create a new bureaucracy, "unless you think Medicare is government-run. In Medicare you choose your doctor, you choose your hospital, you have tremendous choices," she said. "We're going to offer for non-Medicare eligible Americans a comparable plan."
To foot the bill, Clinton said she will use tax credits for Americans and will require large companies to help pay for their employees' healthcare. The plan won't require small businesses to cover employees but calls for tax credits to assist small businesses in providing affordable coverage.
The bottom line, according to Clinton, is that right now insurance companies spend $50 billion a year trying to figure out how not to cover people. "Well, I'm going to save them a fortune and a whole lot of time, because here's the new policy, no more discrimination, period," Clinton said.
When asked whether she learned anything from her attempt at establishing universal healthcare in 1993 under her husband's Administration, she said she knows now that the White House can only lead and guide the reform process. The major decisions need to be made by Congress. She also said she believes that the time is ripe for change.
"All of the problems that we tried to address fifteen years ago are still with us. Some are worse, and we have some new problems as well," she said. "So I believe that America is ready for this change."