Obama Campaign Policy and Position Statement on Health Care
December 18, 2007
18 Dec 2007
Below are excerpts containing all new material added by the Obama campaign to its policy statement and position on health care on December 18, 2007.
Creating a Healthcare System that Works
Obama Campaign, December 18, 2007
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As president, Barack Obama will prioritize these activities to strengthen prevention and public health, as well as fight for the following initiatives:
Obama Campaign, December 18, 2007
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Promoting Prevention and Strengthening Public Health
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As president, Barack Obama will prioritize these activities to strengthen prevention and public health, as well as fight for the following initiatives:
- Advance the Biomedical Research Field: As a result of biomedical research the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease is better today than any other time in history. Barack Obama has consistently supported funding for the national institutes of health and the national science foundation. Obama strongly supports investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields, because it provides the foundation for new therapies and diagnostics. Obama has been a champion of research in cancer, mental health, health disparities, global health, women and children's health, and veterans' health. As president, Obama will strengthen funding for biomedical research, and better improve the efficiency of that research by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships. An Obama administration will ensure that we translate scientific progress into improved approaches to disease prevention, early detection and therapy that is available for all Americans.
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Support Americans with Disabilities: As a former civil rights lawyer, Barack Obama knows firsthand the importance of strong protections for minority communities in our society. Obama is committed to strengthening and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that future generations of Americans with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. Obama believes we must restore the original legislative intent of the ADA in the wake of court decisions that have restricted the interpretation of this landmark legislation.
Barack Obama is also committed to ensuring that disabled Americans receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits in a low-cost, effective and timely manner. Recognizing that many individuals with disabilities rely on Medicare, Obama worked with Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to urge the department of health and human services to provide clear and reliable information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to ensure that the Medicare recipients were protected from fraudulent claims by marketers and drug plan agents.
Increase Transparency in the Health Care Industry
Health care quality and costs vary tremendously among hospitals and providers, but patients have limited access to this information. American health care consumers are not armed with the cost and quality information they need to make good decisions about their care. Obama believes all Americans should have access to information that provides them with what works and what does not work in our health care system. As President, Obama will work to implement important proposals that empower individuals, including:
- Providing easy-to-understand comparisons of the medicare prescription drug plans. Since the creation of the medicare prescription drug benefit, seniors have been deluged with massive amounts of information about the various plans, but have received little guidance about which plans actually suit their unique needs. As a result, a significant number of seniors are enrolled in plans that are actually more expensive for them than other available medicare prescription drug plans. Obama will ensure seniors are provided with information about the best prescription drug plans for them every year.
- Requiring full transparency about quality and costs. Under Obama's health care plan, hospitals and providers will be required to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse-staffing ratios, infections acquired while patients are in a hospital, disparities in care, and costs. Health plans will also be required to disclose the percentage of premiums that actually goes to paying for patient care as opposed to administrative costs.
- Promoting patient safety through full disclosure. Obama will require providers to report preventable medical errors, and support hospital and physician practice improvement to prevent future occurrences.
- Figuring out what works. The United States provides some of the most sophisticated medical care in the world, but there is no good system in place to figure out which treatments and procedures work the best. As president, Obama will establish an independent institute dedicated to guiding research into what drugs, devices and procedures work the best. This will help patients and their doctors make the best decisions for their health and well-being.