Giuliani wants to give you a tax break for health coverage, and as a bonus he would be the terrorists worst nightmare. Why not support him for 08 instead of a candidate who could never win?
>Giuliani: American principles will solve health care crisis
By HOLLY RAMER (AP) Jul 31, 2007
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) _ Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday offered what he called an American solution to the nation's health care crisis rather than the socialized medicine he accuses Democrats of pushing.
"We've got to solve our health care problem with American principles, not the principles of socialism," he said. "I know Democrats will say this is unfair, I know they'll squeal... But I'm a realist. I face reality, which is: if you take more people and have government cover it, it's called socialized medicine."
The former New York mayor said his goal is to give individuals more control over their health care.
Key to his plan is a $15,000 tax deduction for families to buy private health insurance, instead of getting insurance through employers. Any leftover funds could be rolled over year-to-year for medical expenses.
He said as more people buy plans, insurers will drop their prices, making insurance affordable to those who lack it now.
"Government cannot take care of you. You've got to take care of yourself," he said. "As more of us do that, the cheaper it will become and the higher in quality it becomes."
Countries that have universal coverage actually have universal waiting lists, he said, and many are trying to return to American-style systems.
"If single-payer systems are starting to crack, tell me, just tell me: Why would we want to create one in the United States?" he said.
He didn't mention any of his Republican rivals on Tuesday, focusing instead on the Democratic hopefuls. He singled out John Edwards, saying the former senator's universal health care plan likely would cost at least twice as much as the $90 to $120 billion a year Edwards claims.
"We would not be able to do anything else in our government if we started doing that," Giuliani said.
As a former trial lawyer, Edwards also is the target of another element of Giuliani's health care plan: torte reform.
"I'm very concerned that we're shrinking the medical profession in this country, and we're shrinking the medical profession because we're suing them so much," he said.
He said those who are legitimately injured by doctors should be compensated, but damages should be capped and those who file frivolous lawsuits should have to pay the physician's legal fees.
"If a person gets injured, he should be compensated, but he shouldn't get the brass ring or win the lottery," he said.< |
