Presidential Election '08

On your mark, get set, go....

Labor Day has traditionally marked the start of the "real" election season - when political rhetoric and policy debates reach a fever pitch. We at Leadinghealthycommunities.com are hopeful that health care will feature a prominent role in political discourse.

Health08.org [http://www.health08.org/index.cfm] a Kaiser Family Foundation website provides an ongoing analysis of health care issues addressed by the presidential candidates. The site provides links to useful articles, side-by-side comparisons of reform plans, and health reform video sound bites. The site helps visitors better understand the candidates reform plans and form their own opinions on the issues and candidates.

In summary:

The McCain health reform plan seeks to:

"Remove the favorable tax treatment of employer-sponsored insurance and provide a tax credit to all individuals and families to increase incentives for insurance coverage; promote insurance competition; and contain costs through provider payment changes, tort reform and other measures. "

The Barrack Obama plan would:

"Require all children to have health insurance, expand public programs such as Medicaid and SCHIP, and compel employers to offer employee health benefits or contribute to the cost of a new public program. A National health Insurance Exchange would permit small businesses and individuals without access to other public programs or employer-based coverage to enroll in a new public plan or in approved private plans."

While both plans propose new ideas around how Americans might obtain or pay for health care services, which plan do you feel might offer substantive change helping communities provide health care to their residents?

How might you change the system to lessen communities' burden caring for those without health care access?

Share your thoughts, information, and resources.