Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Features House Candidates’ Health Care Positions

The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report highlights a number of House races in which health care issues have played a role. Summaries of the races listed by state appear below.

Arizona, 1st District
Coconino County Supervisor Paul Babbitt (D) is challenging incumbent Rep. Rick Renzi (R).

• Babbitt has said he supports expanding access to health care "to the hundreds of thousands of people in our small towns who go without every day" and "ensur[ing] the health and well-being of our veterans" (Babbitt Web site).
  
  
• Renzi has said he seeks "increased coverage, more choice and reduced cost" for health care. He said he supports plans to improve access to health coverage for low-income residents of rural Arizona by allowing small businesses to form health insurance pools to negotiate lower premiums. In addition, he supports legislation that would allow people to compare health insurers online (Renzi Web site). Renzi voted for the new Medicare law, and he voted to allow prescription drug reimportation with FDA's approval. He also voted to cap noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits at $250,000, limit punitive damages to the greater of either $250,000 or twice the amount of economic damages and cap attorneys' contingency fees in malpractice cases (OnTheIssues.org). In addition, he said he was among a group of representatives who voted against a Veterans' Affairs appropriations bill because provisions for VA health care were inadequate, a move he said contributed to an increase in funding of more than $2.5 billion for VA health care (Renzi Web site). Renzi also has worked to increase funding for American Indian health care (Baldor, Associated Press, 9/28).

Colorado, 3rd District
John Salazar (D), a state representative from Colorado's 62nd House District, is running against Greg Walcher (R), a peach grower, for an open seat.

• Salazar supports legalizing the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada (Salazar, Denver Rocky Mountain News). He has pledged to introduce legislation that would give small businesses tax benefits to offset the cost of providing health insurance to employees. Salazar also supports creating prescription drug purchasing pools designed to give buyers more leverage negotiating prices with drug makers (Salazar Web site). As a state representative, Salazar sponsored a similar bill to allow Colorado's state agencies and pharmacies to form pools when negotiating prices with drug makers (Denver Rocky Mountain News).
  
  
• Walcher supports tort reform because he says "[l]awsuit abuse is driving up the price of everything from homes to health insurance for working Americans." He also said he believes U.S. residents should be able to reimport drugs from Canada (Walcher, Denver Rocky Mountain News).

Georgia, 3rd District
Former Bibb County Commissioner Calder Clay (R) is challenging Rep. Jim Marshall (D).

• Clay -- senior vice president of Sanford Company, a consulting firm to hospitals and long-term care facilities -- said that any "meaningful health care reform must include tort reform" because "frivolous lawsuits are clogging up the legal system and driving up health care costs." Clay also supports capping noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits (Clay Web site). He has criticized Marshall for voting against a bill to limit malpractice lawsuits (Peters, Macon Telegraph, 10/18). Clay said he also supports health savings accounts and health insurance purchasing pools for small businesses (Macon Telegraph, 10/25). He supports the Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted last year (Clay Web site).
  
  
• Marshall has said that Medicare must be "cost effective and assure quality care for all" beneficiaries. In addition, he has said that Congress must act to reduce drug costs (Marshall Web site). Marshall said he has fulfilled his promise to help rural hospitals by working with federal officials to improve rural hospitals' access to the Indigent Care Trust Fund (Macon Telegraph, 10/18). On medical malpractice reform, Marshall has said that decisions on "frivolous lawsuits" should be left to states, not to the federal government (Schanche, Macon Telegraph, 10/20). He voted against a bill that would have capped noneconomic medical malpractice damages at $250,000 and punitive damages at the greater of either $250,000 or two times the amount of economic damages (OnTheIssues.org). However, he has said that in the short term, "Georgia should expand protections against frivolous lawsuits" to "relieve a great deal of economic pressure and stress for some physicians." He said that as the population ages, "a greater portion of our national wealth must be devoted to health care if we are to improve quality and access" (Macon Telegraph, 10/25). Marshall voted in favor of the Medicare prescription drug bill, in support of a measure to legalize prescription drug reimportation from some nations with FDA's approval and for a bill allowing small businesses to create association health plans (OnTheIssues.org).

Georgia, 12th District
Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow (D) is challenging incumbent Rep. Max Burns (R).

• Barrow said that if elected, his first priority would be to reform the Medicare law, which he said has caused premiums to increase and has not provided coverage for many middle-class seniors (Bynum, Associated Press, 10/18). He has pledged to work to expand Medicare benefits to provide immediate prescription drug coverage for all seniors. Barrow supports legalizing reimportation. He said he supports providing incentives to small and large businesses to offset the cost of employee health benefits. Barrow also said he would support programs that encourage physicians and nurses to practice in small towns and rural counties and that he would support technology grants to link smaller regional hospitals with larger facilities with more resources (Barrow Web site). He supports medical malpractice reform measures to decrease frivolous lawsuits but does not support capping damage awards, the Associated Press reports. Barrow supports stem cell research using "embryos that are going to be discarded in the ordinary course of fertility practice" (Associated Press, 10/25).
  
  
• Burns said that "[p]reserving, protecting, strengthening and simplifying Medicare are top priorities" (Burns Web site). He voted for the new Medicare drug law. He voted against legalizing drug reimportation from some nations with FDA approval. Burns voted for a measure to limit noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000 and to cap punitive damages at either $250,000 or two times the amount of economic damages. He also voted for a bill allowing small businesses to form association health plans to negotiate lower insurance premiums for their employees (OnTheIssues.org). Burns said he supports limited stem cell research that does not use cells from human embryos (Associated Press, 10/25).

Indiana, 8th District
Jon Jennings (D), a former White House fellow and Department of Justice congressional liaison, is challenging incumbent Rep. John Hostettler (R).

• Jennings has released a 50-page document outlining his plans for health care and seven other areas (Hayden, Evansville Courier & Press, 9/24). "The Jennings Plan" states that he would work to preserve Medicare funding and make Medicare financially stable; support legalizing reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada; and eliminate a measure in the Medicare law that forbids HHS from negotiating drug prices. Jennings also supports expanding the SCHIP program and said he would work to increase awareness of the program among low-income U.S. residents. He supports allowing businesses with fewer than 100 employees to form insurance pools to negotiate lower premiums (Jennings Web site). In addition, he also said he supports giving small businesses annual tax credits for 60% of their cost for health care benefits (Martin, Evansville Courier & Press, 6/17). Jennings said he would support grants to rural hospitals and work with rural hospitals in the district to develop plans to attract more health care providers. He also said he would seek to increase college assistance to low-income students who want to become nurses and increase the number of nursing professors. Jennings said he would pursue new funding sources for cancer screening programs and work to promote such programs. In addition, he supports regulation of tobacco products, including mandatory carcinogen reductions in cigarettes, restrictions on advertising aimed at children and full disclosure of ingredients. Jennings said he would work to improve access to prenatal care; reinstate health care benefits for all veterans; hire more staff to eliminate a backlog of 71,000 veterans' disability claims that have taken longer than six months to process; secure health care benefits for service members and their families, including members of the Reserves and National Guard; and increase funding for VA health care to provide care to soldiers returning from war (Jennings Web site).
  
  
• Hostettler supports measures to decrease the number of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits. He voted for a bill that sought to limit medical malpractice lawsuits to awards of $250,000 for noneconomic damages and $250,000 or two times the economic damages for punitive damages (OnTheIssues.org). Hostettler voted against the Medicare prescription drug benefit bill because he said he was concerned about its cost and expanding the federal government's role in health care (Evansville Courier & Press, 6/17). He also opposed a bill to allow the reimportation of prescription drugs. Hostettler supported a bill to permit small businesses to pool together across state lines to create association health plans. He also voted to establish tax-exempt medical savings accounts that could be used to pay medical bills and voted to allow self-employed workers and people who purchase individual health plans to deduct the full cost of their premiums from their taxes. In addition, Hostettler voted to permit patients to file lawsuits against health maintenance organizations if they are harmed by a denial of health care. He voted to ban physician-assisted suicide (OnTheIssues.org).

Iowa, 3rd District
Incumbent Rep. Leonard Boswell (D) is running against attorney Stan Thompson (R).

• Boswell supports legislation to extend a $2,000 tax deduction or credit to individuals and businesses to help offset health insurance costs (Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week, 9/25). He has called for a meeting among health care researchers, business leaders and government officials to address health care problems. Boswell said he would like to re-examine some provisions of the Medicare prescription drug bill, including a measure that prohibits the government from negotiating lower prices with drug makers, the Des Moines Register reports (Norman, Des Moines Register, 10/5). He voted against the Medicare bill last year (OntheIssues.org). Boswell said he supports "a real Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors -- one without a gap in coverage and one that doesn't hand control of the benefit over to private insurance companies." He has cosponsored a plan calling for a voluntary, universal drug plan that would cover 80% of drug costs and cap total out-of-pocket expenses for seniors who pay a $25 monthly premium. He also supports hastening market entry for generic versions of drugs and "closing key loopholes" that allow drug makers to keep prices high. Boswell supports a plan on Medicare reimbursement rates under which no state would receive more than 105% or less than 95% of the national average reimbursement rate (Boswell Web site). Boswell voted against a measure to cap noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits at $250,000 and to cap punitive damages at $250,000 or twice the economic damages. He supported measures to legalize reimportation with FDA approval and ban physician-assisted suicide. Boswell opposed measures to allow small businesses to form association health plans across state borders and allow patients to sue their HMOs when harmed by a denial of health care (OntheIssues.org).
  
  
• Thompson supports the Medicare prescription drug law as "part of ongoing improvement" to the program. He said the new law benefits low-income seniors and improves the state's Medicare reimbursement rates for health care providers (Thompson Web site). Thompson also favors legalizing reimportation from Canada to further reduce drug costs for seniors. In addition, he said he supports capping medical malpractice awards to help contain health care costs (Des Moines Register, 10/5).

Kentucky, 4th District
Columnist and former television news anchor Nick Clooney (D) is challenging Rep. Geoff Davis (R).

• Clooney does not support the new Medicare prescription drug law and advocates reforming the legislation (Lannen, Lexington Herald-Leader, 10/10). He said if elected, he would work to "pass a real prescription drug benefit for all seniors" (Beardsley, Louisville Courier-Journal, 10/9). Clooney said he wants to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices with drug makers. He also supports a plan to allow U.S. residents to purchase Medicare coverage at age 55 (Crowley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/25). Clooney supports legalizing reimportation of drugs from Canada and enacting tax credits for small businesses to help offset the cost of providing health coverage to employees (Louisville Courier-Journal, 10/9). In addition, he said that if elected, he would work to pass a veterans' and troops' bill of rights that would require health care through the Veterans Administration to be fully funded and would address a backlog of VA benefits claims (Kentucky Post, 8/31). Clooney also supports fully funding a program to train emergency workers to respond to conventional, biological and chemical terror attacks (Henderson, Kentucky Post, 8/10). He does not favor medical malpractice award caps because he maintains juries should be "allowed to make the determination what they think is proper for each specific case." He said he is opposed to human embryonic stem cell research unless the stem cells come from sources that "do not have anything to do with creating an embryo" (Clooney Web site).
  
  
• Davis supports enacting medical malpractice reforms to help prevent frivolous lawsuits, reduce malpractice costs and "keep our doctors in Kentucky." He supports allowing small businesses to form association health plans to purchase employee health benefits. Davis also has pledged to promote the use of health savings accounts, which he said would increase competition among health insurers and lower costs. He supports giving full tax deductions to individuals who purchase their own health coverage and providing the uninsured with tax credits to cover the cost of individual catastrophic health care coverage (Davis Web site). Davis said that administrative costs, such as paperwork expenses, need to be controlled to reduce health care costs (Lexington Herald-Leader, 10/10). Davis supports stem cell research only when it "does not involve the use of tissue from aborted children or the destruction of live human embryos" (Davis Web site).

Kentucky, 6th District
State Senator Tom Buford (R) is challenging incumbent Rep. Ben Chandler (D).

• Buford supports federal funding for state health insurance pools and allowing small businesses to form association health plans so they can extend lower group insurance rates to their employees. He also supports legislation to reduce the number of frivolous medical malpractice claims (Buford Web site). In the state Senate, he supported a bill to create a constitutional amendment that would have capped noneconomic damage awards in medical malpractice cases (Ford, GOPUSA, 7/19). Buford said that while the new Medicare prescription drug law will improve seniors' access to drugs, lawmakers "need to continue to press forward improving our system of Medicare." He also said we must maintain our commitment to provide Medicaid to low-income residents (Buford Web site). Buford has pledged to work with Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) and state universities to increase funding for bioscience research in the state and to encourage the development of prescription drugs (GOPUSA, 7/19).
  
  
• Chandler has pledged to "take on the big drug and insurance companies" and help pass an HMO Patients' Bill of Rights to reduce health costs, improve access to health care and "make sure that doctors, not insurance company bureaucrats, make medical decisions." He said he supports reforming the Medicare prescription drug law to lower seniors' drug costs and reduce health insurers' authority over prescription drug choices. In addition, he supports legislation to fully fund veterans' health care programs and said he will fight plans to close a VA medical center in Lexington (Chandler Web site). Chandler voted against limiting noneconomic and punitive damage awards in medical malpractice lawsuits (OnTheIssues.org). Chandler said his efforts to prosecute Medicaid fraud as state attorney general helped the state recover $17 million, and his work on nursing home neglect and abuse led to the nation's first conviction for poor patient care against a nursing home management corporation. He also won a $45 million award against a health insurer that illegally removed assets from a charitable trust and used the money to pay for health care. In addition, he recovered $2.1 million from a drug maker charged with conspiring to raise prices by more than 2,000% and distributed the money in refunds to overcharged patients and funding for Medicaid (Chandler Web site).

Louisiana, 3rd District
Candidates include state Rep. Damon Baldone (D), senior vice president of public policy and economic development for the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce and MetroVision; Charmaine Caccioppi (D), small business owner; Charles Melancon (D); Dr. Kevin Chiasson (R); state Sen. Craig Romero (R); and lobbyist Billy Tauzin III (R).

• Baldone sponsored legislation to give three American Indian tribes state recognition, which he said would help residents secure federal funding for health care (Krupa, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 10/4). Baldone said if elected, he would work to make health care more affordable (Baldone Web site). Baldone said he does not support the new Medicare prescription drug benefit program, which he says takes negotiating power from the consumer (Petit, St. Charles Herald-Guide, 9/11).
  
  
• Caccioppi said she supports legalizing reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada. She said she would work to preserve funding for Medicaid programs and provide seniors with more care options by allowing Medicaid to pay for long-term care (Caccioppi Web site). In addition, Caccioppi said she opposes a provision in the Medicare prescription drug bill that prohibits HHS from negotiating prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical firms (St. Charles Herald-Guide, 9/11). Caccioppi said the state needs to ensure that health insurers cover mammograms and adequate hospital stays to thoroughly evaluate women and infants after birth (Caccioppi Web site).
  
  
• Melancon proposes a "crack down on government-subsidized drug companies" that continually increase prices for prescription drugs. He said he supports legalizing reimportation and tax incentives for employers who offer health care coverage to workers (Melancon Web site).
  
  
• Chiasson said he supports allowing HHS to negotiate prices of prescription drugs and supports legalizing reimportation, adding that he thinks safety concerns are unfounded. He favors a central negotiating committee for all federally purchased prescription drugs. Chiasson has proposed a health care plan that would combine health savings accounts with catastrophic coverage. He said he would work to increase public awareness and education of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases and believes the health care system needs more quality employees to increase quality interaction (Chiasson Web site).
  
  
• Romero is the lead senator of the Region IV Department of Health and Hospitals' Regional Health Care Consortium (DHH release, 8/17). He opposes the new Medicare prescription drug benefit (St. Charles Herald-Guide, 9/11).
  
  
• Tauzin said he supports the new Medicare law and legalizing reimportation from some nations, as well as increased access to generic drugs. He supports "a common sense patients' bill of rights," association health plans and providing tax credits to offset the cost of health insurance. Tauzin also supports community health centers and medical malpractice reform (Tauzin Web site).

Louisiana, 5th District
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander (R) is being challenged by former campaign organizer Zelma "Tisa" Blakes (D) and John "Jock" Scott (R).

• Alexander supports health savings accounts and voted in favor of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. He supports legalizing reimportation of U.S.-made, FDA-approved prescription drugs from abroad (Alexander Web site). Previously, Alexander voted against reimportation and allowing small businesses to form pools to negotiate health insurance rates (Ballard [1], Baton Rouge Advocate, 10/2). He twice voted against limiting awards in medical malpractice lawsuits (Ballard [2], Baton Rouge Advocate, 10/2).
  
  
• Blakes supports plans to provide health care coverage to low-income and unemployed residents. She said quality health care should be available to all residents (Blakes Web site).
  
  
• Scott supports the creation of health savings accounts and tax credits for small business owners who provide health insurance to workers. Additionally, Scott supports a patients' rights bill that would allow patients the right to appeal if claims are denied. He also advocates automatic enrollment of children in government-sponsored health programs including state SCHIP programs and Medicaid (Vote Smart Web site).

Louisiana, 7th District
Retired heart surgeon Charles Boustany (R); union organizer Malcolm Carriere (D); state Sen. Donald Cravins (D); state Sen. Willie Landry Mount (D); and David Thibodaux (R), immediate past President of Lafayette Parish School Board, are candidates.

• Boustany supports greater access to health care and legalizing reimportation of prescription drugs (Courreges, Baton Rouge Advocate, 10/14). Boustany proposes a nine-point strategy for lowering the cost of health care, including a renewal of the doctor-patient relationship, providing quality acute care for the uninsured, strengthening Medicare, localizing health care, reducing unnecessary medical malpractice lawsuits and increasing educational opportunities for nurses (Boustany release, 8/10). He also supports expanding health savings accounts and providing services for working families who cannot afford HSAs (Boustany release, 9/8).
  
  
• Carriere supports legalizing reimportation and allowing more foreign doctors to practice in the country. He also supports a national health care system that would provide coverage to all residents (KLFY 10 Web site). Carriere said he advocates expanding prescription drug coverage through Medicare and private insurance plans. He also supports providing tax credits for businesses and individuals to offset the cost of health coverage. He opposes limiting awards in medical malpractice lawsuits and believes a patients' rights bill should be established. Additionally, Carriere supports the automatic enrollment of children in Medicaid and SCHIP. Carriere supports expanding stem cell research to include new lines of stem cells (VoteSmart.org).
  
  
• Cravins said he supports expanding U.S. residents' access to generic and lower-cost medications. He also supports universal health coverage. In the Louisiana State Senate, Cravins voted in favor of legislation to expand and improve health care for children. Additionally, he supports requiring insurance companies to cover mammograms and adequate hospital stays for women and infants after birth. Cravins said he supports measures that would "preclude profiteering by HMOs" and laws that "crack down" on medical abuse and fraud (Cravins Web site).
  
  
• Landry Mount supports giving businesses tax credits to provide health insurance to workers. In addition, she supports legalizing reimportation of prescription drugs, and she has said she would co-sponsor legislation to provide lower-cost medications through Medicare. Landry Mount said she would work to expand Medicare and SCHIP. She supports the creation of a patients' rights bill. Landry Mount also favors increased funding for medical research and development, and health care summits that would outline best practices and solutions within the health care industry. In addition, she supports the expansion of veterans' health programs, including fully funded VA hospitals, and the utilization of regional outpatient clinics to provide timely service and reduce waiting lists (Landry Mount Web site).
  
  
• Thibodaux is opposed to a managed care system that does not allow beneficiaries to choose which doctors they will see, as well as a government-run health care system. He supports MSAs and a patients' rights bill (Thibodaux Web site).

New York, 27th District
State Assembly member and former Buffalo City Council member Brian Higgins (D) and Erie County Comptroller and former investment banker Nancy Naples (R) are candidates.

• Higgins supports the Social Security COLA Protection Act, which ensures Medicare parts B and D premiums do not increase to more than 25% of a retiree's annual cost-of-living adjustment. Higgins said he would work to reduce health care costs and provide health insurance to all children. As a member of the New York State Assembly, Higgins voted in favor of programs that extended health insurance to low-income residents. He supports legalizing reimportation from abroad, as well as allowing the government to negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers. He also said Congress should consider Kerry's proposed health care reforms (Higgins Web site).
  
  
• Naples said she supports the new Medicare law (Naples Web site). Naples also proposed a Life Sciences Initiative that would retain biotechnology research and manufacturing in the area (Naples release, 9/27).

South Dakota, At Large
Former state House Rep. Larry Diedrich (R) is challenging Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D).

• Diedrich supported a prescription drug program that required pharmaceutical companies to sell medication in South Dakota at the same prices they receive from Canadian customers. He said he believes that fair-trade practices should be applied to the pharmaceutical market (Diedrich Web site). Diedrich also supports reducing health care costs through tort reform to prevent unnecessary lawsuits and the practice of defensive medicine. In addition, he said state requirements for health coverage have left the state with few health insurers. Diedrich proposes joining other states in a pool to attract more insurance carriers to South Dakota (Dockendorf, Press & Dakotan, 10/12).
  
  
• Herseth supports changes to the new Medicare law. She also supports providing tax credits to offset the cost of health insurance and expanding public health programs such as SCHIP. Herseth said she would support legislation to make tax deductible long-term care insurance premiums, including those paid by children of nursing home residents. In addition, Herseth said she will work to fund additional veterans' clinics, expand veterans' services at VA hospitals and cover the prescription drug and long-term care needs of veterans. She opposes enrollment fees for health services and increases in copayments for prescription drugs for veterans (Herseth Web site).

Texas, 1st District
Incumbent Rep. Max Sandlin (D) and Louis Gohmert (R), a former state appeals court chief justice, are candidates.

• Sandlin supports revisions to the new Medicare law that would allow the program to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for discounts on prescription drugs and has signed a discharge petition to force a vote on the issue (Savodnik, The Hill, 7/21). In the House, he has voted against legislation to cap damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and establish a statute of limitations on such lawsuits (Issues 2004 Web site). However, Sandlin last year proposed legislation to provide physicians with tax credits to cover 10% to 20% of their malpractice insurance premiums (Evans, Cox/Lufkin Daily News, 10/18). Sandlin opposes health savings accounts and association health plans (Issues 2004 Web site). He has proposed legislation that would provide uninsured U.S. residents with tax credits to cover 50% of the cost of health insurance premiums (Maynard, Tyler Paper, 10/18). Sandlin has said that if elected, he would seek affordable health care for U.S. residents and a "real" Medicare prescription drug benefit (Sandlin Web site).
  
  
• Gohmert supports free-market reforms to the U.S. health care system, which he maintains would lead to reduced costs. In addition, he supports health savings accounts (Tyler Paper, 10/18).

Texas, 17th District
11th District incumbent Rep. Chet Edwards (D) and state Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth (R) are candidates.

• Edwards supports legislation that would impose penalties on attorneys who file frivolous malpractice lawsuits. In addition, he supports legislation to mandate that pharmaceutical companies cannot charge U.S. residents higher prices than they charge Canadian residents. He also supports revisions to the new Medicare law that would allow the federal government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for discounts on prescription drugs (Edwards Web site). Edwards has signed a discharge petition to force a vote on the issue (The Hill, 7/21).
  
  
• Wohlgemuth supports medical liability reform legislation. In addition, she proposes to reduce the cost of federal health care programs, such as Medicare, through the elimination of fraud and improved agreements with providers (Wohlgemuth Web site). Wohlgemuth also has said that if elected, she would seek to make health insurance affordable and accessible to all U.S. residents (Najmi, Battalion, 10/18).

Texas, 32nd District
Incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas), incumbent of the former 24th District, are candidates.

• Sessions voted for the new Medicare law (The Hill, 7/21). He opposes the legalization of the reimportation of lower-cost prescription drugs from abroad. He supports legislation to cap damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and establish a statute of limitations on such lawsuits. In addition, he supports health savings accounts (Issues 2004 Web site).
  
  
• Frost supports revisions to the new Medicare law that would allow the program to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for discounts on prescription drugs and has signed a discharge petition to force a vote on the issue (The Hill, 7/21). Frost opposes to legislation to cap damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and establish a statute of limitations on such lawsuits. He voted against the new Medicare law and does not support HSAs or association health plans (Issues 2004 Web site).

Utah, 2nd District
John Swallow (R), co-founder of On International and former state House member, is challenging incumbent Rep. Jim Matheson (D).

• Swallow said he would support reducing government regulation of health care because such mandates "are responsible for increased premium costs" and discourage many employers from offering health benefits. In addition, Swallow said he would support expanding tax-free health savings accounts and increasing the portability of health insurance by providing "similar pretax purchasing benefits to organizations and individuals outside of corporations" to reduce the link between employment and health coverage. Swallow said that he opposes human embryonic stem cell research but supports umbilical cord and adult stem cell research (Salt Lake City Deseret News, 10/24/02).
  
  
• Matheson, a member of the steering committee of the House Rural Health Care Coalition, supports proposals to expand health care options for families and small businesses (Matheson Web site). While in Congress, Matheson has voted to limit noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000, cap damages and set time limits. He voted for the Medicare prescription drug benefit and against allowing the reimportation of prescription drugs. Matheson voted for a bill that would permit the creation of association health plans through which small companies could group together to buy insurance for their employees. Matheson signed a letter to the Congressional leadership requesting legislation that would "adequately fund" the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP programs (Issues 2004 Web site).

Washington, 5th District
Don Barbieri (D), a businessman and former board chair of Sacred Heart Medical Center, is running against former state Rep. Cathy McMorris (R).

• Barbieri said he supports allowing bulk purchasing for prescription drugs through Medicare and legalizing reimportation. To address the cost of medical malpractice insurance, Barbieri said he would establish a standard insurance level combined with a program to pool excess liability coverage for all state health care providers, physicians and hospitals. Barbieri supports the Small Business Health Insurance Promotion Act (HR 4356), which would make small businesses and self-employed individuals eligible to receive a 50% tax credit for four years to help offset the cost of health insurance. He also said that he would expand medical, dental and nursing programs and offer incentives such as school loan debt relief for medical professionals serving rural communities (Barbieri Web site). Barbieri's plan also calls for assistance to rural hospitals and clinics most affected by regulatory burdens and mandatory funding for veteran health care (Graman, Spokane Spokesman-Review, 8/11).

• McMorris said she does "not believe a government-run" health care system is "the answer" to problems with the U.S. health care system and expressed support for health savings accounts, the Spokane Spokesman-Review reports (Graman, Spokane Spokesman-Review, 10/16). She supports increasing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements and providing lower-cost health insurance options. McMorris proposed a plan to allow small business owners with fewer than 50 employees to enter pools to purchase health insurance at a lower cost. She also said she supports tort reform and reimportation of prescription drugs. "Ensuring that we have access to quality and affordable health care is one of my priorities," she said (Spokane Spokesman-Review online interview, 9/3).

Washington, 8th District
Dave Reichert (R), King County sheriff, is running against Dave Ross (D), a former radio talk show host.

• Reichert said he believes limiting awards in medical malpractice lawsuits is the "first step to addressing health care costs," the Seattle Times reports. He also said he supports health savings accounts and association health plans (Cornwall, Seattle Times, 10/6). Reichert said he is "open to the idea" of legalizing prescription drug reimportation if the quality of the drugs and safety of the practice is proven (Seattle Times, 10/22).
  
  
• Ross proposed a health care plan that would expand federally funded health insurance for children and low-income U.S. residents, in addition to legalizing the reimportation of prescription drugs (Seattle Times, 10/6). Ross said his plan would provide assistance to U.S. residents enrolling in federally sponsored health plans and provide small businesses with assistance for insuring their employees. Ross said he supports providing health insurance to all children. Ross also proposed establishing a federal prescription drug benefit through Medicare and Medicaid under which the government would use its purchasing power to negotiate lower wholesale prices for all U.S. residents. He said he supports eliminating obstacles for regulatory approval of generic drugs and establishing federally aided buying pools for prescription drugs (Ross Web site).

Wisconsin, 4th District
Defense attorney Gerald Boyle (R) is running against state Sen. Gwen Moore (D).

• Moore supports universal health coverage for all U.S. residents. She said she supports changing the new Medicare prescription drug benefit to provide more coverage to reduce beneficiaries' out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses and to require the federal government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. Moore also said she would support patients' rights legislation and legalizing prescription drug reimportation (Moore Web site).