Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Rounds Up Coverage of Results in 15 Senate Races

Over the past several months, Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report has identified some of the major senate races in which health care has played a central role. The following are results of those races and a brief description of the winners' health care stances.

Arkansas
Attorney General Mark Pryor (D) defeated incumbent Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R) by a 54% to 46% margin, with 96% of precincts reporting (Kilborn, New York Times, 11/6). Pryor has touted his record on nursing home protections, noting that as state attorney general, he supported a measure to increase nursing home violation penalties by 400% (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/11). In addition, Pryor says that during his tenure as attorney general, he created the Antitrust Division, which has investigated pharmaceutical companies' marketing practices. Pryor supports legislation that would ensure that patients have access to an independent appeals process in cases of care denial. Pryor supports tax credits for employers to obtain health insurance for their employees and tax credits for individuals who purchase their own coverage. Pryor favors proposals that would reduce the cost of prescription drugs by permitting the importation of safe, FDA-approved prescription drugs and supports the Senate-passed McCain-Schumer bill (S 812), which is designed to increase access to generic drugs. Pryor also supports a Medicare prescription drug benefit (Pryor Web site).

Colorado
Sen. Wayne Allard (R) defeated attorney Tom Strickland (D), the Denver Post reports (Greene, Denver Post, 11/6). Allard received 51% of the vote, compared to Strickland's 45%, with 98% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Allard has said the Senate "must pass" a prescription drug benefit under Medicare (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/12). Allard supports spending about $300 billion over 10 years for a prescription drug benefit, similar to the proposal included in the House-passed Medicare reform legislation (Obmascik, Denver Post, 5/17). In addition, Allard is opposed to human cloning, voting for a ban on the procedure in 1998. Allard voted against patients' rights legislation that would have allowed patients to sue HMOs and collect punitive damages (Issues 2002 Web site).

Georgia
Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) defeated incumbent Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) in a "bitterly fought" race, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Tharpe, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/6). Chambliss received 53% of the votes, compared to 46% for Cleland, with 99% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Chambliss says he supports protecting patients' rights while at the same time keeping the cost of health care affordable. Chambliss says that patients' rights should be "comprehensive" and include a "medical review process" for patients denied care (Chambliss Web site). Chambliss also supports legislation that would expand access to medical savings accounts for small business employees. According to Chambliss, such a measure would lower small businesses' health coverage costs and allow them to "help with economic expansion" (Chambliss release, 10/22).

Idaho
Sen. Larry Craig (R) defeated former U.S. ambassador to Belgium Alan Blinken (D). Craig received 65% of the votes, while Blinken received 33%, with 97% of the precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Craig said he supports plans to implement a Medicare prescription drug benefit (Craig Web site). Craig has previously voted against patients' rights legislation that would have allowed patients to sue HMOs and collect punitive damages and a plan to implement medical savings accounts. Craig also is opposed to human cloning, having voted for a ban on such practices (Issues 2002 Web site). In response to the National Governors Association call for increased Medicaid funding to offset the cost of long-term care for the elderly, Craig said in March that if "the way we look at long-term care financing does not change," state and federal governments will not be able to afford many programs on which "many seniors ... depend" (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/22).

Iowa
Sen. Tom Harkin (D) defeated challenger Rep. Greg Ganske (R) by a 54% to 45% margin, with 99% of precincts reporting, (Norman, Des Moines Register, 11/6). Harkin cosponsored the Medicare Fairness in Reimbursement Act (S 1020), which would adjust Medicare reimbursements to equitable levels among all states. In addition, Harkin introduced the Medicare Physician Payment Fairness Act of 2001 (S 1707), which would have reduced cuts in Medicare provider reimbursements and would have readjusted the Medicare provider payment formula. Harkin also introduced a rural health initiative, signed by President Bush, seeking to improve access to quality health care in rural areas. Harkin supported efforts to increase health care funding for the VA health system, voting to increase such funding to $24 billion in 2003. In addition, Harkin has supported efforts to increase the budget for NIH to expand medical research on a number or topics, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer and heart disease (Harkin Web site).

Louisiana
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) will face state Elections Commissioner Suzanne Haik Terrell (R) during a Dec. 7 runoff, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports (Walsh, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 11/6). With 98% of precincts reporting, Landrieu had 46% of the vote, compared to Terrell's 27%. Two other Republican candidates, U.S. Rep. John Cooksey (R-La.) and state Rep. Tony Perkins (R), won 14% and 10% of the vote, respectively (CNN.com, 11/6). Because no candidate received more than 51% of the votes in the general election, as required by law, a runoff will be held next month between the two candidates who received the most votes (New Orleans Times-Picayune, 11/6). Landrieu supports expanding patients' rights to sue their HMOs. Last year, she supported a Democratic-backed bill that would have capped punitive damages at $5 million. Landrieu also supports efforts to "shore up" financially strapped Medicaid programs and voted for a $9 billion Medicaid bailout bill passed by the Senate this summer. Landrieu supports a plan that would allow states to provide subsidies to low-income residents to purchase private health coverage, and she favors using refundable tax credits to help some uninsured residents purchase insurance coverage. She also supports using the private sector to provide Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug coverage. Landrieu voted for a bill (S 812) that would increase access to generic drugs and allow wholesalers to reimport prescription drugs from Canada (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/8). She supports adult and embryonic stem cell research but is opposed to human cloning (Landrieu Web site). Terrell favors limiting patients' rights to sue HMOs to keep litigation from driving up the cost of health care. Terrell does not support additional federal funding for Medicaid, saying the program is a "bureaucratic nightmare." She favors using subsidies to help low-income people purchase insurance. Terrell supports using tax credits to help seniors obtain drug coverage and the uninsured to purchase drug benefits. Terrell favors legislation to increase access to generic drugs, but she opposes drug reimportation because of concerns that the government cannot ensure the medicine's purity and effectiveness (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/8). She also supports tax-deductible health care premiums and medical savings accounts, particularly for small businesses (Terrell Web site).

Maine
Sen. Susan Collins (R) defeated former state Sen. Chellie Pingree (D), the New York Times reports (Christian et al., New York Times, 11/6). Collins garnered 58% of the vote, compared to Pingree's 42%, with 86% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Collins assumed a "front-and-center role" in the Senate's recent debate on a Medicare drug benefit. She also cosponsored a bill that would ease the market entry of generic drugs and supported an amendment that would to allow U.S.-made drugs to be reimported from Canada. In addition, Collins voted for legislation that would allow states to replicate programs such as Maine Rx, which would allow the state to negotiate directly with drug makers for discounts similar to those given to the Medicaid program (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/26). In addition, Collins has aired campaign ads touting her fight to restore home health care services for seniors (American Health Line, 10/23).

Michigan
Sen. Carl Levin (D) defeated state Rep. Andrew Raczkowski (R), the Detroit Free Press reports (Bailey, Detroit Free Press, 11/6). Levin received 61% of the votes, with Raczkowski receiving 38%, with 99% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Levin supports creating a Medicare prescription drug benefit that would be administered by the government, state prescription drug pools and drug reimportation from Canada. Levin also supports patients' rights legislation. In June 2001, Levin voted in favor of a Senate patients' rights bill that would have allowed patients to sue for unlimited pain and suffering damages (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/3). Levin also supports universal health care (Adrian Daily Telegram, 10/25).

Minnesota
Former St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman (R) narrowly edged former senator and Vice President Walter Mondale (D), who was nominated by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party to replace Sen. Paul Wellstone, who was killed in a plane crash late last month (Lopez, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 11/6). At press time, Coleman led Mondale 50% to 47%, with 91% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Coleman supports Medicare reform that will streamline and strengthen the program. He believes that the current Medicare provider reimbursement formula needs to be readjusted to ensure equity, and he supports increasing Medicare physician reimbursement. In addition, Coleman said he supports a Medicare prescription drug benefit similar to a tripartisan plan offered in the Senate earlier this year (Coleman Web site). During the campaign, Coleman has aired ads advocating the need for a "comprehensive, universal" Medicare prescription drug benefit (American Health Line, 10/23).

Missouri
Former Rep. Jim Talent (R) defeated Sen. Jean Carnahan (D), the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (Shesgreen/Mannies, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/6). With 100% of precincts reporting, Talent garnered 50% of the vote, while Carnahan received 49% (CNN.com, 11/6). Talent supports a Medicare prescription drug benefit that would be overseen by the government but administered by private insurance companies, similar to the proposal included in the House-passed Medicare reform legislation. Talent also supports a plan that would help cover more uninsured residents by allowing small businesses to band together through trade associations to purchase coverage at discounted rates. As a member of the House, Talent cosponsored a patients' bill of rights and favors a measure that would exempt employers from liability and establish a cap on damage awards (Kansas City Star, 10/24).

New Hampshire
Rep. John Sununu (R) defeated Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) in a race for the U.S. Senate, the Manchester Union Leader reports (Manchester Union Leader, 11/6). Sununu received 51% of the vote, while Shaheen garnered 47%, with 100% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Sununu voted for House-passed Medicare reform legislation (HR 4954) that includes a prescription drug benefit. In addition, Sununu has worked to increase health care funding for the Veterans Administration over the last few years (Sununu Web site).

New Jersey
Former Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D), whom Democrats selected to replace Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) after he withdrew from the race in September, defeated Republican businessman Douglas Forrester, the New York Times reports. With 97% of precincts reporting, Lautenberg received 54% of the votes and Forrester received 44% (Kocieniewski, New York Times, 11/6). During Lautenberg's three terms as senator, he advocated creating a Medicare prescription drug benefit and opposed privatizing the federal program. In addition, Lautenberg supported establishing patients' rights legislation (Lautenberg Web site).

South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson (D) defeated Rep. John Thune (R) by 527 votes. With all precincts reporting, Johnson received 167,481 votes, or 50%, and Thune had 166,747 votes, or 49%. Under state law, Thune could demand a recount because the margin of victory was less than 0.25% (Associated Press, 11/6). Johnson introduced several bills during the current term to lower the cost of prescription drugs. One proposal, the Rx Relief for Seniors Act (S 1600), would give seniors a refundable tax credit to help pay for the prescriptions they filled during 2001. Under the program, seniors would receive $500 for an individual or $1,000 for a couple toward their drug costs. Johnson also supports Medicare reform that would "promote choice and competition" in the program and at the same time "improve the quality of care [and] hold down [Medicare] costs." Johnson cosponsored the Medicare Reform Act of 2001 (S 1135), which would have created a voluntary prescription drug benefit and added preventive benefits to the program (Johnson Web site).

Tennessee
Former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander (R) "easily defeated" Rep. Bob Clement (D-Tenn.) to claim retiring Sen. Fred Thompson's (R) seat, the Tennessean reports (Hamburg et al., Tennessean, 11/5). Alexander received 55% of the votes, compared to 44% for Clement, with all precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Cornyn garnered 55% of the vote compared to 43% of the vote for Kirk with 89% of the precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Alexander supports the creation of a Medicare prescription drug benefit that would "enhance coverage" for low-income beneficiaries, provide catastrophic coverage, have reasonable deductibles and copayments, be "fiscally sound" and provide "updated drugs and technologies" (Alexander Web site). Alexander has said he would work together with Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to create a benefit "both our country and our seniors can afford." According to a campaign advertisement, Alexander believes in a "long-term, common sense" drug benefit that does not create a "huge new bureaucracy" (American Health Line, 9/25). In addition, Alexander supports the creation of association health plans in which small businesses pool together to purchase health coverage at reduced rates (Alexander release, 10/18).

Texas
Texas Attorney General John Cornyn (R) "handily defeated" former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk in the race for retiring Sen. Phil Gramm's (R) seat, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (AP/Houston Chronicle, 11/5). Cornyn garnered 55% of the vote compared to 43% of the vote for Kirk with 89% of the precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/6). Cornyn supports a $300 billion, 10-year Medicare prescription drug benefit proposal, similar to the plan included in House-passed Medicare reform legislation (HR 4954) (Kaiser Daily Health Polic Report, 10/11). During the campaign, Cornyn said he favors government-funded non-emergency care for undocumented immigrants, a shift from an opinion he issued last year as state attorney general saying that public hospitals in Texas may not provide free or discounted preventive care to undocumented immigrants (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/23). He supports patients' rights legislation that would provide patients an independent external review of HMO denial of care decisions but would limit "frivolous" lawsuits. He favors refundable tax credits to help individuals and families pay for private insurance premiums and favors creating tax-free medical savings accounts (Cornyn Web site).