Erickson Was Wrong On Santorum And An Individual Health Care Mandate
Here's what Santorum actually said in 1994:
" ... instead of mandating that employers provide insurance, they should be required to join an insurance network, which would enable their employees to obtain coverage at group rates ..."
Santorum was speaking about "requiring" employers, not "requiring" individuals, to purchase health insurance. The Morning Call then misquoted this.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Erickson Was Wrong On Santorum And An Individual Health Care Mandate
Following up on this from The Right Scoop, actually Erickson’s Tweet is false.
Erickson Tweet: Santorum too was once an individual mandate supporter.
Problem is that there is no link to the source for us to validate and the quote is in third person which means it’s not even Santorum’s own words.
There is a link. Follow this to the original article.
Watkins would allow a tax increase on cigarettes, alcohol and firearms; Santorum would not. Also, Watkins supports a national cap on spending, provided it doesn’t force rationing. Santorum says no to board-set limits. Santorum introduced the idea of a medical savings account, called Medisave, which has become part of the Gramm bill. Under it, workers would buy major medical insurance and could make tax-free contributions to a Medisave account, from which they would pay for preventive services. Watkins said he believes the country can save as much as $76 billion by eliminating duplication of services and government bureaucracy. He also would require individuals to pay part of their health care bills. In the state governor’s race, the Republicans oppose mandates on employers providing health insurance, including abortions in basic benefits packages and setting national spending limits.
Here’s Santorum’s actual position back then, in opposition to HillaryCare. He was also pushing good legal reform on lawsuits for pain and suffering. Still more here, there doesn’t appear to have been any mandate, as Erickson stated.
Wofford campaigned successfully on the health care issue in 1991, and yesterday Santorum took aim at Democratic ideas for health care reform, particularly the plan proposed by President Clinton.
Under the Clinton plan, all employers would be required to provide health insurance for their workers and to pick up most of the cost. That plan would also place caps on how much could be spent on health care each year.
Santorum charged that Clinton’s proposal to administer its system through regionalized health alliances essentially shuts medical professionals out of the process and puts it in the hands of political appointees.
The policy of placing caps on spending could create a horror scene similar to that which has occurred in Canada, where hospitals were shut down for periods of time for everything except emergencies because the money ran out, he said.
He suggested that instead of mandating that employers provide insurance, they should be required to join an insurance network, which would enable their employees to obtain coverage at group rates.
Access is also important in a good health care system, he said. Access could be improved by eliminating restrictions placed on coverage because of pre-existing conditions, by ensuring the right of renewal and through tax credits and vouchers, he said.
On responsibility, he said a Medisave plan will encourage employees to become more responsible health-care consumers.
Medisave calls for lower premiums from employers and higher deductibles from employees, with the savings on the premiums transferred into an interest-bearing, tax-free account that would be used by employees for routine health care. If an employee sought to use the money for anything other than health, the money would become taxable and a penalty would be charged, he said.
With such a plan, people would be motivated to shop for the best deal in an attempt to keep as much money in the account as they can, he said.
Santorum also proposed reforming malpractice suits by putting a cap on money given for pain and suffering.
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Santorum is not even in this debate. Where is your video of Santorum saying he wants a heathcare mandate?
51 posted on January 27, 2012 11:56:58 AM CST by patriot08 (TEXAS GAL- born and bred and proud of it!Ho)
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To: SeekAndFind
Upon further examination:
Erickson Was Wrong On Santorum And An Individual Health Care Mandate
VIDEO: Pennsylvania Senatorial Debate Oct. 30, 1994
52 posted on January 27, 2012 12:15:57 PM CST by jellybean (Bookmark http://altfreerepublic.freeforums.org/index.php for when FR is down)
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Santorum is not even in the debate you sited???
Thanks for the links. This destroys the allegation and exposes it for the lie that it is.
If you open this:
VIDEO: Pennsylvania Senatorial Debate Oct. 30, 1994
you get Zell Miller and Wolford???