Texas, Michigan Candidates for Governor Detail Health Care Proposals
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez on June 17 unveiled a five-point health plan that he said would help "Texans from early childhood through their last days on Earth," the Austin American-Statesman reports. Speaking at a medical facility and joined by representatives of the Texas Medical Association, which has endorsed him in his election contest against Gov. Rick Perry (R), Sanchez offered five proposals:
- Boosting outreach efforts for the state's CHIP program, as well as placing greater emphasis on childhood vaccinations;
- Developing methods of providing more funding to areas without enough doctors and medical facilities and to promote the use of telemedicine programs;
- Requiring insurers to make prompt payments to providers (Herman, Austin American-Statesman, 6/18);
- Examining prescription drug programs in other states to help low-income seniors purchase medications (Barta, Dallas Morning News, 6/18); and
- Implementing surprise inspections of nursing homes instead of annual reviews (Austin American-Statesman, 6/18).
'Defying Credibility'?
Ray Sullivan, a spokesperson for Perry, said that "Mr. Sanchez's paper plan cannot hold a candle to [Perry's] real record of historic health care improvements," adding that the governor had championed "more than $40 million in fines and restitution orders against slow-paying HMOs and insurance companies" and had expanded children's health coverage (Dallas Morning News, 6/18). Sullivan also said that Sanchez's "confusing plan would require massive increases in government bureaucracy and billions in new state spending and taxes" (Austin American-Statesman, 6/18). Perry unveiled his health care proposals last month, including a plan to allow small businesses to purchase coverage through a state insurance pool and mandating that insurers include drug coverage as an option in all supplemental Medicare plans (Houston Chronicle, 6/17).
The Michigan Race
In other election news, the
Detroit Free Press on June 17 examined the role health care is playing in the Michigan gubernatorial race. U.S. Rep. David Bonior (D) recently began a television advertising campaign stating that quality health care for all residents is one of his "top three issues" and last week took a bus trip to Canada with seniors to purchase prescription drugs. Former Gov. Jim Blanchard (D), who is seeking to reclaim the position he lost to Gov. John Engler (R) in 1990, said he believes that "mental health [is] one of the issues that [will] influence voters the most." State Attorney General Jennifer Granholm (D) "often mentions teen suicide, teen smoking and other health concerns of children" while campaigning, the Free Press reports. And state Sen. Joe Schwarz (R), a physician by training who "has focused more on health than any other candidate," emphasizes Medicaid, while Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus (R) "likes to talk about patient rights and responsibilities," the Free Press reports. Posthumus and Schwarz say they would continue Engler's policy of using the state's tobacco money to fund college scholarships, while all three Democratic candidates say they would divert some of the funds to health care programs, include smoking cessation initiatives (Askari, Detroit Free Press, 6/17).
