Political Races in Arkansas, Maryland, Rhode Island and Texas Address Health Issues
With the November elections less than a month away, manycandidates across the country are addressing health care issues on the campaign trail. The following is a summary of some recent news concerning health care issues in state elections:
Governor
Maryland: The campaign of gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) began airing a television ad on Oct. 4 that says opponent Rep. Robert Ehrlich (R-Md.) "sid[ed] with special interests" when he opposed patients' rights legislation and supported a bill to provide a Medicare prescription drug plan through private insurers, the Baltimore Sun reports. "As lieutenant governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend fought successfully for a state patients' bill of rights and health insurance for 100,000 children," the ad states, continuing, "Now she has a plan to help 200,000 Maryland seniors pay for prescription drugs. In Congress, Bob Ehrlich stood with HMOs against a real patients' bill of rights and with big drug companies against adequate prescription drug coverage for seniors under Medicare." In an analysis of the ad, however, the Sun states that pharmaceutical industry gave Ehrlich $2,500 in 2001-2002, "relatively little money." In addition, Ehrlich has voted "largely along party lines" while in Congress and "has not often been publicly linked with specific interests," according to the Sun (Nitkin, Baltimore Sun, 10/9).
Rhode Island: Former state Senator and gubernatorial candidate Myrth York (D) Oct. 8 announced a proposal that would allow small business owners and recently unemployed workers to purchase health insurance through the state's RIte Care program, which provides health coverage for low-income children and women, the Providence Journal reports. Under York's plan, participants would pay the full cost of insurance, and unemployed workers could receive up to 18 months of coverage. York added that the proposal would save the state money because it could leverage a larger pool of customers to obtain lower premiums in negotiations with health plans. York's opponent, businessman Don Carcieri (R), said he had already proposed such a plan about two weeks ago to the Providence County Chamber of Commerce (Anderson, Providence Journal, 10/10).
Senate
Arkansas: Senatorial candidate and Arkansas Attorney General Mark Pryor (D) on Tuesday criticized Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) for legislation that removed certain federal nursing home standards and reduced Medicare reimbursements to nursing homes, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. Pryor said that in 1995, Hutchinson, then a member of the House, voted in favor of eliminating nursing home standards put in place by former President Reagan. Pryor also said that in 1997, Hutchinson voted to cut $37 billion from Medicare payments to nursing homes. "Families all over Arkansas have loved ones in nursing homes, but when it came to protecting them, Tim Hutchinson said, 'No,'" Pryor said. Hutchinson said that both votes were made in an effort to balance the federal budget. Meanwhile, Pryor touted his record on nursing home protections, noting that he supported a measure that increased the state's nursing home violation penalties by 400% (Rowett, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/9).
Texas: Senatorial candidates Texas Attorney General John Cornyn (R) and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk (D) on Oct. 8 separately promoted plans to improve health services for seniors, the Houston Chronicle reports. Cornyn announced a $300 billion, 10-year Medicare prescription drug benefit proposal that would include a $35 monthly premium, a $250 annual deductible and would cover 80% of drug costs up to $3,500 a year, at which point a catastrophic benefit would cover remaining expenses. Under the proposal, beneficiaries' maximum out-of-pocket expenses would be $1,370, or $114 a month. Kirk said he would create an "optional" Medicare prescription drug benefit paid for through savings from greater use of generic drugs. He did not provide specific details about the proposal but said it would be a "high priority" and legislators should "set partisanship aside in forging solutions" (Robison/Williams, Houston Chronicle, 10/8).
