Christian Science Monitor Examines Federal, State Proposals To Address Issue of the Uninsured
The Christian Science Monitor on Thursday examined federal and state solutions to "[f]ix health insurance" in the United States, which is "leaving behind an increasing number of Americans who can't afford it." Many efforts to expand health insurance coverage are taking place at the state level, in part because it is an election year and neither President Bush nor presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) "is talking radical reform or pushing to put the system on a whole new track," the Monitor reports. Maine, California and Massachusetts are among states pursuing efforts to expand health coverage, which "could help swing the national debate by showing what can be done -- programmatically and politically," according to the Monitor. However, "any ideal solution involves changes at the federal level" because "federal mandates can supersede state laws," the Monitor reports. Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said, "2004 is a political, not a policy year. Virtually nothing of significance is likely to pass Congress, and yet there will be an enormous amount of rhetoric" (Lamb, Christian Science Monitor, 6/10).
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