There will be a United States Presidential election in 2012. Many of the candidates who wish to run in this election have made that intention public. This election will focus on a variety of issues, but the biggest one is probably health insurance and health care reform. Here is a quick list of where each candidate stands on that issue.
I think it would be appropriate to start this list with the current President of the United States, Barack Obama. He is a Democrat. His administration has helped to design and implement the current health care reform, including the Affordable Care Act. Some have referred to these changes as “Obamacare”.
Barack Obama would like to see a national health insurance exchange that would reform the current system that relies heavily on private health insurance companies. He wants people to have access to affordable health insurance, and wants to make it a law that all children will be covered by health insurance. He also wants all employers to contribute to the cost of the health insurance that they offer their employees, (or to pay for employees to get their insurance from the public exchanges).
Newt Gingrich is a Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He is a Republican. He does not want to see the federal government getting involved with health insurance. He thinks that health insurance companies should be allowed to sell policies across state lines. He also feels that Medicare should focus on preventative health, (instead of treating illnesses), and is in support of Medicare opt-in private health savings accounts.
Ron Paul is a Libertarian. He is not in support of government funded health care. He would like to see free trade solutions to health care and health insurance reform. He is in favor of there being an establishment of private health savings accounts. He wants to get rid of Medicaid, and replace it with an opt-in pro-bono care system.
Sarah Palin ran as a Vice Presidential candidate with Senator John McCain in the previous Presidential election. She is a Republican. I think everyone is aware that she is strongly opposed to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, because she has been very vocal about her views on this subject. She would prefer to see a free market solution to health insurance and health care reform. She was in support of an idea from Senator McCain that would give a $5,000 tax credit to families who wanted to purchase their own health insurance coverage.
Michele Bachman is also a Republican. She is a member of Congress. She, too, is against the creation of a government funded health insurance system. She has consistently voted against additional funding for health care, and has voted against funding the Children’s Health Insurance Program. She wants both Medicare and Medicaid to be dismantled, and would like to see those programs replaced by a free market system.
Image by Tom Thai on Flickr