Kerry Health Plan to Lower Health Care Costs for Businesses and Families; Contrasts with Bush’s Dismal Record: Giving $Billions to Drug Companies, Plans to Raise Health Care Costs, and Other Failures
Jacksonville, FL September 22, 2004 — Speaking at a town hall meeting here today, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said that President Bush’s wrong choices on health care have hurt American businesses and the economy, and that Bush’s wrong-headed plans for America would increase premiums for four out of five small businesses and increase the number of uninsured Americans by over one million.
Kerry pledged to move the country in a new direction with a plan that makes health care more affordable for businesses through new tax credits, premium relief, and the ability to buy into the same health care plan as members of Congress.
โAt a time when the cost of health care and the number of uninsured Americans have reached record highs, George Bush hasn’t cut costs for a single family or helped small businesses insure a single worker during his four years in office,โ Kerry said. โIn fact, George Bush’s crowning achievement on health care is a Medicare bill that gives billions in profits to drug companies while sticking seniors with the bill.โ
In the last four years, health care premiums have shot up $3,512 โ” five times faster than wages.
Without the market leverage of large companies, small businesses, which employ nearly half of all Americans, have had a difficult time keeping up with record health care costs. Employers have responded to high costs by slowing hiring and shifting jobs to more part-time and temporary workers.
Instead of offering help, President Bush has done nothing to provide relief. He has chosen to give tax breaks to outsourcers and delivered a billion dollar giveaway to drug companies, but stood on the sidelines as small businesses have wrestled with increased health costs.
The few plans the president has floated would make health care more expensive for most Americans. His proposal to expand Associated Health Plans would increase premiums for four out of five small businesses, and his plan to expand Health Savings Accounts would increase both costs and the number of uninsured.
โGeorge Bush has had four years to do something โ” anything โ” about this problem,โ Kerry said. โHe has done nothing, and now he’s asking for another four years to make the same wrong choices for America.โ
Kerry’s plan will provide relief for small businesses who provide workers health care.
Kerry will allow small businesses to buy into the same health care plans as members of Congress, allowing them access to the same prices available to big groups, and give small businesses tax credits to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of employees’ premiums.
Under Kerry’s plan, all businesses who provide coverage will get up to $1000 in premium breaks, and families and businesses will benefit from his proposals to cut waste and bring down administrative costs.
โI believe we need a new direction on health care to keep our businesses strong and our families healthy,โ Kerry said. โMy plan is based on incentives and the marketplace. And it finally does something about the spiraling health care costs that are bankrupting middle-class families and burdening small businesses all across America.โ
For more information on Senator Kerry’s stand on National Security, Energy Independence, Economy and Jobs, Health Care, Homeland Security, Education, Environment, Veterans, and Stronger Communities, read the Kerry-Edwards Plan for America at www.johnkerry.com/issues/ .
Author: Anonymous
Source: free-articles
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