NPR: Presidential Candidates and Their Health Care

Presidential Candidates and Their Health Care

Health care is a key issue for most Americans this campaign. In fact, some surveys show that it ranks as a more important issue that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So after we received an e-mail from a listener about what kind of health care the candidates themselves had, NPR's Julie Rovner decided to find out.

Many of the Republicans and Democrats running for president are sitting members of the U.S. House or Senate - and are thus eligible for taxpayer-subsidized coverage through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan. Marilyn Moon, director of the health program for the American Institutes for Research, says the plan is OK, but not "gold-plated."

Most of the Democratic candidates offer their campaign workers health coverage. Dennis Kucinich - the one candidate who advocates the program closest to universal health care - is the exception and says it's just a matter of money when you run a low-budget campaign.

Republicans were more reluctant to talk about their coverage. The campaigns of former New York Mayor Giuliani, former Tenn. Sen. Fred Thompson, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney (MA) wouldn't say what kind of coverage the candidates have. (Romney's campaign never bothered to respond to any of Julie's requests for information.) Rep. Ron Paul uses the federal program. Sen. John McCain gets his coverage in three ways.

"I'm eligible for veterans' care, because of having served in the military, and I'm most proud of that," McCain said in an interview. "I have the Senate health-insurance program, and I'm also part of my wife's supplementary insurance that she has."

McCain and Giuliani offer health insurance to their campaign staff; Paul and Calif. Rep Duncan Hunter don't, largely because staffers are volunteers. Huckabee and Romney wouldn't say if they cover their staffs. (Julie's Reporter's Notebook on the teeth she has to pull to get some of this information - or not get it - is worth a read.)

12:00 PM ET | 01-14-2008 | permalink

Comments

I am stunned that candidates for POTUS will not share information on their health insurance coverage. My goodness, they have to provide their tax returns! Results of their health exam (as president)is covered in the press! There is so much more personal information already shared with the public, and yet they don't want to provide information on their health insurance provider? Seems like an inocuous "ask", and the fact that they won't provide the information, especially given the importance of the topic to every American, is cause for grave concern. What else are they hiding?

Sent by Cathy Garza | 12:25 PM ET | 01-14-2008

This is a terrific report, actual substance. How about comparing what each candidate would get under the various health care plans? As a voter, I can't decipher much from the campaign.

NPR, along with other mainstream media, has covered the horse race rather than the issues. It's not "irresistible," as quoted this morning. It's your job to resist that and provide substantive coverage.

How about the National Animal Identification System, a very controversial USDA system for numbering and tracking every livestock animal in the country? Small farmers are very opposed and yet it has received almost no national coverage. Check out David Gumpert's article in The Nation online, USDA Bets the Farm on Animal ID Program.

Sent by Christine Heinrichs | 12:56 PM ET | 01-14-2008

Doesn't the answer you get, show you the kind of person (and future administration) your getting?
Everyone is tight-lipperd, except McCain! McCain doesn't hide his life from the press. He doesn't need to!

Sent by Harold | 1:23 PM ET | 01-14-2008

The candidates should just be lucky they don't live in Washington state, since Guiliani and McCain would not pass our individual policy screening test, given their history of cancers. See the article in 1/13/08 Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004123942_healthsurvey14m.html

And their campaign staff would have to work at least 30 hours a week to qualify as "staff" for group insurance.

I hope this story brings home the importance of health care to the majority of Americans.

Health care is a deeply important issue to most Americans, and they are vastly smarter on the issue than they are given credit for. Candidates will ignore that fact to their regret.

Sent by Kathleen O'Connor | 2:53 PM ET | 01-14-2008

I think that "we the people" should have the same coverage that the Federal Employee Health Benefits plans provide for our setting members/retired members of congress....under universal health care. If it's good enough for them it's good enough for us, we're paying for it after all.

Sent by Reggie | 6:23 PM ET | 01-15-2008

Perhaps this healthcare coverage issue reveals the true nature of the candidates more than any other. Do the candidates' actions match their words in claims of "caring" about the uninsured? Does a candidate's willingness to be transparent on their own and on staff's health coverage reflect the future transparency or not of his or her White House? I want to know more! Please keep asking questions of the candidates. Between my wife and I we work five jobs to live in a simple house and drive older vehicles to be able to pay $1100/month for health insurance!

Sent by Chris Pinkerton | 8:59 AM ET | 01-16-2008

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