2011 gubernatorial press release: on Health Care


Sean Parnell: Federal healthcare overreaches into Americans' private lives

I am pleased U.S. District Judge Vinson recognized that the Congress reached beyond its constitutional authority into the lives and freedom of Americans. While I am concerned about rising health care costs, solutions have to be constitutional. Because the authority of Congress to enact the mandatory health insurance provisions has been ruled unconstitutional, I urge the federal government to suspend all efforts to implement these provisions until the U.S. Supreme Court decides the issue.
Source: Alaska 2011 gubernatorial press release #5638 Oct 22, 2011

Sean Parnell: Alaska does not want government mandates in health care

Supporters of government mandates in health care want Alaskans to conclude that if we don't take the federal money that somehow we are not moving forward with health care initiatives in this state. That is false. The federal government's 'one size fits all' health care mandates may have ended with the Florida court decision, but we will continue working to reshape our health care system to fit the unique needs of Alaskans.
Source: Alaska 2011 gubernatorial press release #5659 Oct 22, 2011

Jerry Brown: Insurance companies must cover maternity leave & services

Healthy mothers mean healthy babies. I want the next generation of Californians to get the best possible start in life. The bills I signed today require that insurance companies cover maternity services for pregnant women and ensures that mothers who take maternity leave no longer have to fear losing their medical coverage.
Source: California 2011 gubernatorial press release #17261 Oct 6, 2011

Jack Markell: Government funding will lower health care costs

Many chronic diseases are preventable. We want to be doing everything we can to help Delawareans lead healthier lives. Wellness makes for a better quality of life, a stronger workforce, and it lowers health care costs.

Delaware was awarded a grant from HHS to help prevent chronic diseases and promote health. Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths among Americans each year and they account for nearly three-fourths of the more than $2.5 trillion our nation spends annually on medical care

Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release, "Chronic Disease" Oct 4, 2011

John Kitzhaber: Healthcare reform needed at both state and federal levels

The Governor emphasized the need to focus on the "triple aim" of improving the health of the population, reducing per capita cost, and improving the patient experience. Transforming the system involves reorganizing the delivery system to get at the root causes of medical inflation: overutilization; lack of prevention; and poor service integration and care coordination. There is clear waste and inefficiency in the system and as a state--and a nation--we cannot afford to pay for it.
Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release #100411 Oct 4, 2011

Peter Shumlin: We need a single payer system for all

Vermont needs to move quickly to control the cost of quality health care.

The jump in premiums is significantly higher than any increase in wages Americans are experiencing in this struggling economy and a burden on businesses at a time when we want to get people back to work. The need for Vermont's first-in-the-nation effort to create a single payer system that guarantees quality health care coverage while holding down the cost of care for individuals, families and employers has never been clearer.

Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release, "Kaiser" Sep 27, 2011

Brian Sandoval: $874 decrease in public employees benefit plan

The Public Employees Benefit Plan (PEBP) announced today that as a result of legislation passed, PEBP's unfunded liability has decreased by $874 million. Other legislative changes made in 2011 eliminated future health care subsidies for new employees hired after 1/1/2012. While those savings are not included in the reductions above, it is estimated this change will save the PEBP system $235 million over the next 30 years.
Source: Nevada 2011 gubernatorial press release, #4294972116 Sep 20, 2011

Mike Beebe: Provide better care without federal Affordable Care Act

We must find a better way to pay for health care in Arkansas, regardless of the legal fate of the Affordable Care Act. Arkansas has a unique opportunity to be an incubator for sensible, system-wide improvements to our health-care system. Our ability to care for the well-being of all of our people, while addressing a broken system, could set the standard for America.
Source: Arkansas 2011 gubernatorial press release #3042 Aug 25, 2011

Terry Branstad: Lifestyle changes make people healthier & save state money

The Healthiest State Initiative will assist Iowans with healthier lives. We control more than 70% of the factors that influence our health. Addressing comprehensive lifestyle changes could allow the State to redirect as much as $16 billion over the next five years to grow the state economy [versus being consumed by health care ($11 billion) and lost productivity ($5 billion)]. The success of this initiative is critical to the economic viability of the State.
Source: 2011 Iowa Gubernatorial press release Aug 10, 2011

Chris Christie: $159M for community health centers for the most vulnerable

Underscoring the Administration's commitment to quality health services for New Jersey's most vulnerable, Gov. Christie today kicked off National Health Center Week. Said Gov. Christie. "These centers offer affordable, high-quality care to residents and families in need. I am proud of the strong support my Administration has provided for community health centers in the budget--$113 million in Medicaid and $46.4 million for the uninsured. With this assistance, we are making sure the people and communities who rely on these services lead healthy lives now and in the future."

The Governor also signed a proclamation recognizing this week as National Health Center Week in honor of the comprehensive medical and dental care community health centers have been providing for more than 40 years. The theme of this year's National Health Center Week is "Celebrating America's Health Centers: Serving Locally, Leading Nationally."

Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release, "Most Vulnerable" Aug 8, 2011

Bill Haslam: Expand Medicaid to include smoking cessation assistance

Not smoking is one of the best healthy choices Tennesseans can make. I am pleased that smoking cessation assistance will now be more easily accessible to TennCare recipients. This is an important step to encourage Tennesseans to make healthier decisions, especially since TennCare covers nearly a quarter of the state's population. TennCare is the State of Tennessee's Medicaid program that provides health care insurance to approximately 1.2 million Tennesseans.
Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release #7423 Jul 1, 2011

John Hickenlooper: Not acceptable for 2,500 kids to lose CHP health coverage

The focus will be to implement a change that supports the goal of ensuring that kids have access to coverage. The fees required by SB11-213 represent a 1000% increase in the cost of the current CHP+ program to enrollees in the 205% of federal poverty level. Approximately 2,500 kids would drop off the program because of the dramatic increase in cost. Research from across the country and in Colorado indicates that if children drop off the CHP+ program, they would likely become uninsured.
Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release #1251593304636 May 31, 2011

Dennis Daugaard: Working to keep federal government out of SD's health care

I have publicly stated my opposition to the federal health care reform law and will continue to do so. The state is currently challenging the constitutionality of the federal health care law. I have joined with a group of Governors in working actively to repeal or improve the health care law.

I sponsored and approved SB38 and SB43 in order to keep the federal government out of South Dakota's health care systems as much as possible.

Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release "Archives" Apr 18, 2011

Terry Branstad: Mental Health Care Reform: secure vulnerable Iowans

Source: 2011 Iowa Gubernatorial press release Apr 11, 2011

Earl Ray Tomblin: All should have access at an affordable price

Gov. Tomblin's request to expand health care coverage of uninsured children in West Virginia up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level was approved.

Having access to affordable health care should not be reserved for a few. We all get sick and we all must rely on doctors and nurses to heal us. I am pleased to know more of our youngest citizens will now be able to get the care they need and deserve and their families can obtain that care at an affordable price.

Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release, "WVCH" Feb 24, 2011

Sean Parnell: One size fits all health care too restricting

Supporters of government mandates in health care want Alaskans to conclude that if we don't take the federal money that somehow we are not moving forward with health care initiatives in this state. That is false. The federal government's 'one size fits all' health care mandates may have ended with the Florida court decision (that the health care reform act is unconstitutional), but we will continue working to reshape our health care system to fit the unique needs of Alaskans.
Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release #5659 Feb 17, 2011

  • The above quotations are from 2011 gubernatorial press releases.
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Candidates and political leaders on Health Care:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R)
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 13, 2019