March Edition

WELCOME TO SPECTRUM’S PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWSLETTER

The Presidential Election is eight months away and the remaining candidates are under pressure to offer specifics about how he or she will improve the American health care system. But with so little time and so much information, it’s difficult to absorb it all.

The political junkies at Spectrum know this all too well, which is why our Public Affairs team is launching a client-centric news report tracking legislative and presidential campaign news. Our team brings more than 20 years of experience on Capitol Hill, stints on national campaign trails and insider perspectives from years at Washington agencies.

Called Health Care in the Capitol®, this monthly resource will track the policy debate within the halls of Congress and follow the pages of the presidential candidates’ political playbooks. Throughout the newsletter, we will hear from leading health policy experts as to what it all means.  

Spectrum will pay special attention to the campaign trail by highlighting articles, links and pundit perspectives. The newsletter will also report the health policy ongoings on Capitol Hill by tracking the latest bills, hearings and votes. This section of the newsletter will include a snapshot of key legislative activities and translate the often complex ways Congress seeks to improve the health care system for Americans.

Join us in this unprecedented season of health care discourse and watch as candidates and legislators continue to discuss their solutions for the 47 million uninsured Americans, the rising costs of prescription drugs and other top policy issues. The stakes are high, ambitions are higher and the media is full of noise. Let us help you hear the messages you need with clarity – with Health Care in the Capitol®.

Candidates on Health Care

For much of the election season, voters have identified health care as the leading domestic issue for presidential candidates to discuss in the 2008 campaign. As election day approaches, increasing wariness over the U.S. economy will intensify voters' focus on health care-related issues during this election cycle. In particular, voters would like to hear the candidates' positions on reducing the cost of health care and health insurance and expanding coverage to the 47 million uninsured Americans.

As the election season continues to unfold, policy discussions and proposals will intensify. Here is a brief overview of how the three remaining Presidential candidates stand.

Spotlight on the Candidate

	Senator Clinton's plan, called "American Health Choices Plan," would require every American to have health insurance. Read More
	Senator McCain's plan focuses on the "rapidly rising cost of health care" and aims to give patients more control by reforming the system. Read More
	Senator Obama would require all children to have health insurance yet stops short of mandating universal coverage. Read More

Differences in Clinton, Obama Health Care Plans
Democratic Debate in Los Angeles, California on January 31

» Hillary Clinton
» John McCain
» Barack Obama


» www.health08.org
» www.pewresearch.com
» Washington Post: Campaign 2008
» www.realclearpolitics.com

panewsletter@spectrumscience.com

Democrats

Senator Hillary Clinton

Senator Clinton's plan, called "American Health Choices Plan," would require every American to have health insurance. On HillaryClinton.com, Clinton describes her plan as one that will: "provide tax credits for working families to help them cover their costs;" eliminate "insurance companies from denying coverage if you have a pre-existing condition;" be portable, meaning "if you change or lose your job, you keep your health care."

On February 26, 2008, during the Cleveland, Ohio debate with Senator Obama, Clinton had this to say:

"Under my plan, [health care] is affordable, because, number one, we have enough money in our plan. A comparison of the plans like the ones we’re proposing found that actually I would cover nearly everybody at a much lower cost than Senator Obama’s plan because we would not only provide these health care tax credits, but I would limit the amount of money that anyone ever has to pay for a premium to a low percentage of your income. So it will be affordable."

Senator Barack Obama

Senator Obama would require all children to have health insurance yet stops short of mandating universal coverage. On BarackObama.com, Obama discusses lowering overall cost through investment in electronic health information technology, lowering the cost of prescription drugs and advancing the biomedical research field.

On February 26, 2008, during the Cleveland, Ohio debate with Senator Clinton, Obama had this to say:

“I do provide a mandate for children, because, number one, we have created a number of programs in which we can have greater assurance that those children will be covered at an affordable price. On the point of many adults, we don’t want to put [them] in a situation in which, on the front end, we are mandating them, we are forcing them to purchase insurance, and if the subsidies are inadequate, the burden is on them, and they will be penalized. And that is what Senator Clinton’s plan does."

REPUBLICANS

Senator John McCain
On JohnMcCain.com, Senator McCain's focuses his plan on the "rapidly rising cost of health care" and aims to give patients more control by reforming the system. Under a McCain Administration, veterans would be able to "carry their VA dollars to a provider that gives them timely care." McCain would also allow reimportation of prescription drugs to "keep competition vigorous" and "facilitate the development of national standards for measuring and recording treatments and outcomes."

On The Record – Votes Since 2001