On the Issues: Turnaround Plan for America
GOAL #5: BY 2008 EXTEND HEALTH INSURANCE TO
30 MILLION PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY LACK IT
Improve health care and expand health insurance.
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President Bush's Record of Failure
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3.8 million more uninsured Americans. The ranks of the uninsured grew by 3.8 million between 2000 and 2002 and now total 44 million people, including 9 million children. The average family saw its health insurance premiums increase by $2,700 from 2000 to 2003.
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Wes Clark's Turnaround Plan
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Wes Clark has proposed a detailed health plan that will:
- Increase Value: Prevention, getting more bang for the health care buck. Costs are increasing rapidly without contributing to better health outcomes. Wes Clark's plan focuses on getting more bang for the health care buck, improve health outcomes for all Americans while restraining the growing cost of premiums.
- Increase Affordability: Tax credits for families making up to $90,000. Skyrocketing premiums squeeze middle-class households and trigger family bankruptcies. For a family of four making up to $90,000, Wes Clark's plan would provide a tax credit to help defray rising health insurance premiums.
- Expand Coverage: Universal coverage for children and better access for all. Wes Clark's plan will extend health insurance to 32 million Americans, including all 13 million children and college-age students who currently lack health insurance. Every American without other means to buy insurance will have access to the same health plan as Members of Congress; tax credits and other measures will make this coverage affordable. In addition, Wes Clark's plan will help ensure that workers could keep their health insurance between jobs.
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Wes Clark's Accountability Benchmark
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Pass a health plan that extends health insurance to 30 million currently uninsured Americans.
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» Read the speech
» Read Clark's Turnaround Pledge (PDF)
» State by State Breakdown of Goals
» Interactive State by State Map