Hillary’s Health Plan – the Devil is in the (Non-Existent) Details

Requiring everyone to buy health insurance does not guarantee affordability, and even her pledge to keep costs under control won’t specify what that means. Employer mandates are great, but how do we know it won’t just be a subsidy to private insurance companies? While all the major candidates have promoted some mix of public-private insurance (although Edwards has opened the door to single payer), Hillary’s lack of substance should give progressives pause. Because without details, how can we trust the U.S. Senate’s #1 recipient of health insurance money to go after the real culprit – greedy insurance companies?

“If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” said John Edwards, “then I’m flattered.” Like the Edwards plan, Hillary would pay for it by repealing the Bush tax cuts and require everyone to buy health insurance. “Her plan is similar to the one I put forth last spring,” said Barack Obama, “though mine would go further in reducing the punishing cost of health care than any other proposal that’s been offered in this campaign.”

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