Mar 1, 2008 6:13 pm US/Mountain
Clinton and Obama Are Split On Health Care
Good Question: How are Clinton and Obama's health care plans different?
DENVER (CBS4) ―
The most stark difference between presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama may be their positions on health care.
"I just think that there needs to be something done for the people that don't have insurance or don't have the money for it," said one man.
"It's ridiculous in this country to have to choose between feeding your children and taking them to the doctor," says a woman.
It's the kind of issue that makes people think.
"There are so many policy agreements between the two, but this is actually something where they really do differ," says University of Denver political science professor Seth Masket.
But we should start with what's similar.
"Both create new federal programs sort of like Medicare, to make health care more affordable for more people," says Masket.
Both Clinton and Obama want to require private insurers to offer coverage to everyone -- no matter what their medical history. That means no insurance coverage based on risk.
Here's what different:
Hillary Clinton's plan would require large employers to provide or help pay for health insurance.
Small businesses would get tax breaks to help them provide health care coverage.
Everyone would be required to buy insurance.
That means coverage for all of America's 45 million uninsured. The costs would be spread across the entire insured public.
"Like just in the same way as states require all states to have car insurance," says Masket. "The idea is in the long run it makes health insurance less expensive for everyone if you have everyone involved in the pool of the uninsured."
Barack Obama's plan would require all employers to contribute to health care coverage or to the cost of a government plan.
That plan would be created for people and mostly small businesses to buy discounted health care coverage. It would not require everyone buy insurance.
Masket says that means not everyone would be covered.
"Generally people who are younger, who might be healthy, relatively speaking. Don't anticipate that they're going to need health care any time in the near future."
And so those people would get care much in the same way as those without insurance do now. The cost would be spread out in unofficial ways throughout the health care system.
Health care economist Jonathan Gruber of M.I.T. estimates only 23 million of America's uninsured would be covered under the plan.
As acrimonious as the debate between Sen.s Clinton and Obama may get over their health care plans, Masket says all will not be lost. The two are likely to make their peace when the Democratic nominee is chosen.
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