Lewin Report: Good News for Obama, Clinton on Health Care
Last week, the Economic Policy Institute released an important analysis of Jacob Hacker’s Health Care for America (HCFA) plan by the respected health economics team at the Lewin Group. As you can read in the EPI press release, Lewin found that HCFA would cover everyone in America, while saving the US economy over a trillion dollars over the next decade. And the efficiencies achievable primarily through Hackers public health insurance plan would save enough money that, after modest premiums from employers and individuals, the new system would cost the US government only $50 billion more than what we are paying now for a system that leaves millions uninsured or badly insured.
A year ago, just as EPI was publishing Hacker’s HCFA plan, CAF had already gone to work, engaging everyone who would listen in public and private educational discussions about the Hacker-EPI approach -- including Presidential candidates from both parties. After a year-long dialogue, we can see how Hacker’s work has become the template for both Barack Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s health care plan. And just as importantly, our allies in the labor movement, public interest and community action networks are coming together around basic health care principles that are based on Hacker’s model for health care for all. More on this soon – here at this website and at the Take Back America conference.
I am glad to hear that it is being recognized that both Obama's and Hillary's health plans are progressive plans that have the potential to overcome the health crisis in this country.
Robert Reich has been arguing this for months. It was one of the more successful tactics coming out of the Edwards and Hillary campaigns to put Obama on the defensive for his plan. We can put this issue behind us for the remainder of this primary race.
February 18, 2008 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
A reason to be happy to vote for either candidate.
February 18, 2008 6:19 PM | Reply | Permalink