Clinton Has Learned Her Health Care Lesson
Filed under: 2008 elections, Health Care, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards — Michael van der Galien, Editor-in-Chief on June 25, 2007 @ 10:38 am CEST
It seems that Hillary Clinton has learned from the health care debacle in the 1990s:
As first lady in the early 1990s, she tried to reshape the nation’s health care system — an audacious effort that collapsed under its own complexity, Republican opposition and the Clintons’ unwillingness to seek compromise with lawmakers.
“I still have the scars to show for it,” she tells voters now, promising a more consensus-based approach to health care reform if she is elected president…
Burned by the experience, Sen. Clinton has since adopted what she calls “the school of small steps.”
Aides say her plan will be rolled out through a series of speeches focusing on different aspects of health care reform, with the topic of universal coverage to be tackled last.
She began last month with a speech on reducing health care costs. Among other things, she called for enhanced computerized medical record-keeping and encouraging insurance companies and providers to emphasize prevention of illness, rather than treatment.
Her second address, on improving health care quality, will come later this summer.
Of course, her consensus-based approach does not make her more popular among quite some Democrats. Edwards and Obama have both come up with far more bold proposals “which have been generally praised by activists.”
On the other hand, her approach might mean that she will be able to draw from the different existing plans - use the strong points from the other plans, getting rid of the weak ones - and by doing so, she might be able to come up with the best plan that stands a change of actually succeeding / being approved and implemented.
1 Project Vote Smart
June 25, 2007 @ 10:08 pm CESTSenator Clinton’s voting record on health issues can be found at: Senator Clinton’s Voting Record
Senator Clinton’s history of speeches on health care can be found at: Senator Clinton’s Record of Speeches
Senator Clinton’s ratings from special interest groups on health issues can be found at: Senator Clinton’s Interest Group Ratings
For more information on Senator Clinton’s position on health issues please visit Project Vote Smart or call our hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART.