Editorials Address Health Care Issues In Presidential Election

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 02 Apr 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Summaries of two editorials related to health care issues in the presidential election appear below.

• Long Island Newsday: The major presidential candidates have "been eerily quiet in the face of a grim" report issued last week by Medicare trustees that estimates the hospital trust fund for the program will become insolvent by 2019, a Newsday editorial states. The report indicates that "Medicare's meltdown is a clear and present danger," and, although that "has to be a matter of some concern for the 80 million baby boomers ... soon to become reliant on the program," an observer "wouldn't know it by listening" to the candidates, according to the editorial. According to the editorial, the candidates have discussed proposals to "rein in health care costs generally," but savings from "such initiatives won't materialize quickly enough" to address the financial problems that Medicare faces. The editorial adds that the elimination of Medicare Advantage could "save $150 billion over 10 years" and that a proposal to allow Medicare to "directly negotiate drug prices would help too" (Long Island Newsday, 4/1).
  
  
• Orlando Sentinel: The major presidential candidates "can run but they can't hide from the imperative of confronting unsustainable federal benefit programs," such as Medicare, a Sentinel editorial states. Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has "acknowledged the urgent need to deal with the programs" but remains "short on specifics," the editorial states. Meanwhile, Democratic candidates Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) both have "pledged to protect Medicare benefits while pursuing broader strategies to slow rising health costs," according to the editorial. However, the editorial states, efforts to address the financial problems that Medicare faces will "take direct action -- tax hikes, benefit cuts or both" -- and the candidates "owe voters more details about what they would do" (Orlando Sentinel, 4/1).

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