Hawaii 2006 Senate Debate: on Health Care

Daniel Akaka: Advocate for expanding and improving Medicaid and Medicare

The majority in Congress has cut and weakened existing safety net programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. And I have fought these changes and will continue to advocate for expanding and improving Medicaid and Medicare to meet the health care needs of all people. And to do that, we must take steps to help reign in health care costs without reducing access in an attempt to keep coverage affordable for employees and individuals. Source: 2006 HI Senate Debate on PBS Hawaii Aug 31, 2006

Ed Case: Let small businesses pull together resources in health plans

I have support a bill to provide small businesses with the opportunities to pool their resources in association health plans so that they can create the same kind of critical mass that large businesses can create to be able to manage their health care costs. If small businesses can pull together in association health plans they can in fact manage those health care costs a little bit more and spread the risks more. Source: 2006 HI Senate Debate on PBS Hawaii Aug 31, 2006

Ed Case: Support drugs re-importation and bulk purchases of drugs

We can't talk about health care without talking about the prescription drug costs, specifically. Two major initiatives that I believe we need to put forward and accomplish right away, in which I have opposed the Bush administration's position, are first of all to allow re-importation of safe drugs from overseas that are FDA approved, and second to allow bulk purchasing of those drugs for Medicare for the 40 million plus Americans that do get Medicare. That can help. Source: 2006 HI Senate Debate on PBS Hawaii Aug 31, 2006

The above quotations are from 2006 Hawaii Democratic Primary Senate Debate: Sen. Daniel Akaka vs. Rep. Ed Case, at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, on PBS Hawaii, Aug. 31, 2006. Click here for definitions & background information on Health Care. Click here for more quotes by Daniel Akaka on Health Care. Click here for more quotes by Ed Case on Health Care.
*2008 Presidential contenders on Health Care:*
*Republicans:* Chmn.John Cox Mayor Rudy Giuliani Gov.Mike Huckabee Rep.Duncan Hunter Sen.John McCain Rep.Ron Paul Gov.Mitt Romney Sen.Fred Thompson	*Democrats:* Sen.Hillary Clinton Sen.John Edwards Sen.Mike Gravel Rep.Dennis Kucinich Sen.Barack Obama	*Third Parties:* Green: Rep.Cynthia McKinney Socialist: Brian Moore Independent: Mayor Mike Bloomberg
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