2020 KY Senatorial race: on Health Care
Amy McGrath:
For bipartisan plan to fix ObamaCare's problems
I believe health care should be affordable and accessible to all Americans. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is far from perfect, but it enabled many Kentuckians--especially those with pre-existing conditions--to get affordable health insurance for the
first time. I remain committed to working for a bipartisan plan to fix the ACA's problems. A single-payer system would require a sweeping overhaul of our health care system. I do not currently support such an approach.
A public option would give all Americans the opportunity to buy a publicly run insurance plan instead of a private insurance plan. We must increase competition among existing carriers. A public option would lower premiums--since the goal would not
be to make a profit. This also gives people more choices: no one would be forced to go with a government-run plan, but it would be there if Americans wished to choose it. I support a Medicare buy-in option for those over the age of 55.
Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website AmyMcGrath.com
Jun 30, 2020
Charles Booker:
More expensive to do nothing than implement Medicare for all
As a Type 1 diabetic, Charles is intimately familiar with the realities of the American healthcare system. He believes that no one should die because they don't have money in their pocket, a conviction that he gained from being in the position of
choosing between buying groceries for the week or a refreshed supply of life-saving insulin. Our system is broken, and people are dying because of it. When it comes to our health care system, the most expensive option is doing nothing and continuing
to pay twice as much as any other industrialized nation on earth. Universal coverage is worth fighting for--and frankly, it's something that Kentuckians want.˙The increase in coverage that accompanied Medicaid expansion in Kentucky saved thousands of
lives by providing people with healthcare for the first time and simultaneously drove one of the most significant economic expansions in rural Kentucky in recent decades. Medicare for All will build on that success.
Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com
Jun 17, 2020
Amy McGrath:
Will fight to lower prescription drug costs
We can't fix our health care system without addressing prescription drug prices. There are six bipartisan bills on Mitch McConnell's desk to reduce prescription prices, including legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower costs, and he won't even
let them be considered on the Senate floor. The average Kentuckian spends over $2,000 annually on prescription medications. One of the first things I will do when I get into office is fight for legislation to lower prescription drug costs.
Source: The Northern Kentucky Tribune on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Jun 14, 2020
Amy McGrath:
Improve ACA; don't get rid of private insurance
McGrath is against "Medicare for All" and free college tuition in a new TV pitch. "We need a senator who fights for things like affordable health care, college and technical school, not tax cuts for wealthy donors," McGrath says. "That doesn't mean free
college or Medicare for All, I'm against that." Instead improve the Affordable Care Act without getting rid of private health insurance. McGrath also calls for students to perform unspecified "national service" to pay for higher education.
When McGrath ran for Congress two years ago, she said how she favored a single-payer plan but didn't believe it could pass. In four separate interviews during the course of that campaign, McGrath indicated she liked the idea of a government-run health
care system but thought it wasn't feasible. "If we were to start over and have to start over from scratch, say this was 10 years ago -- I think we now know that single-payer would be the way to go," McGrath told NPR in an August 2018 interview.
Source: Courier Journal AdWatch on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Feb 11, 2020
Charles Booker:
Has diabetes & rationed insulin: need Medicare for All
Booker sits furthest to the left in terms of health care, which he often describes as a "human right" that shouldn't be a financial burden. He said he fully favors a version of a single-payer system but has not specified which precise plan he
supports. "When I was diagnosed with diabetes, there were times when my family was forced to ration my insulin just to survive," Booker said. "No one's life should be at risk because they don't have money in their pocket. We need Medicare for All."
Source: Louisville Courier Journal on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Feb 11, 2020
Wesley Morgan:
Abolish ObamaCare; free market is best
ObamaCare should be abolished.
ObamaCare has reduced choices and driven up costs. Health care would work best in a totally free market environment.
Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate website WesleyMorganForSenate.com
Feb 6, 2020
Steven Cox:
Passionate about healthcare
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?A:
Healthcare or caring in general is a passion of mine. I want to unite us, so that we may address the looming threats together.
Source: Ballotpedia.org Connection: 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Sep 9, 2019
Steven Cox:
Medicare-for-All would reduce healthcare costs
In a Medicare for All system, you get rid of the "for profit" mentality. Medicare for All eliminates a lot of the costs.From a provider's standpoint, when you go to the doctor, you have to give them your insurance card, and then they have to figure
out if that's valid, then they have to [determine] with the insurance company what treatment is going to be covered. Under Medicare for All, it would streamline doctor visits and hospital visits because you would all be working on the same system.
Source: Max Micallef on Medium.com on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Jul 18, 2019
Steven Cox:
Medicare-For-All would reduce healthcare costs
In a Medicare for All system, you get rid of the "for profit" mentality. Medicare for All eliminates a lot of the costs.From a provider's standpoint, when you go to the doctor, you have to give them your insurance card, and then they have to figure
out if that's valid, then they have to [determine] with the insurance company what treatment is going to be covered. Under Medicare for All, it would streamline doctor visits and hospital visits because you would all be working on the same system.
Source: Medium.com on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Jul 18, 2019
Steven Cox:
Medicare for All absolutely needs to be done
Medicare for All is something that absolutely needs to be done. I have been involved with the insurance industry for a while now, and I do know that the cost for someone's health insurance isn't just the cost of mitigating the risk of them getting
injured or sick. In a Medicare for All system, a single-payer system, you get rid of the "for profit" mentality. You then focus on what's best for the people.
Source: The Student Post on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Jun 23, 2019
Page last updated: Nov 30, 2020