OnTheIssuesLogo

Steven Sauerberg on Health Care

Republican Challenger


Vouchers to make health care portable and less job-dependent

Durbin & Sauerberg clashed over the nation's health-care crisis, with Durbin accusing Sauerberg, a physician, of proposing an end to government-backed insurance for the poor and elderly in favor of a program using tax credits to purchase private insurance.

"I don't know of another doctor who is so bold as to believe that those people who count on these programs are somehow going to be protected in the market by themselves," said Durbin, who favors a large-scale expansion of taxpayer-subsidized health-care coverage.

But Sauerberg said Durbin misunderstood his proposal, which he said would expand the availability of health-care coverage and make it portable and less job-dependent. "You can buy it. You can use vouchers. The government already pays for many, many people's insurance," Sauerberg said.

Source: 2008 Illinois Senate Debate reported in the Chicago Tribune Oct 7, 2008

Portability, competition, and accessibility for health care

Individuals and families must be allowed to purchase the health coverage of their choice in any state and that coverage must be portable. To lower costs and improve healthcare quality, a free-market based system should be implemented to allow insurance companies to compete locally, statewide, by region and nationally. By lowering costs and creating individual ownership, the Your Healthcare--Your Choice Plan will enable all Americans to receive affordable, high quality healthcare.
Source: Campaign website, www.sauerbergforussenate.com, "Stands" May 21, 2008

Individual ownership through tax rebates and health vouchers

The Your Healthcare--Your Choice Plan will provide an individual with a $2,000 tax rebate and families with a $5,000 tax rebate for purchasing health insurance. Health vouchers in the same amount will be given to those who don't pay federal income tax.
Source: Campaign website, www.sauerbergforussenate.com, "Stands" May 21, 2008

Healthy living tax credits

Offer tax credits to individuals whose healthcare costs do not exceed $1,000 per year and families whose healthcare expenditures are less than $3,000 per year.
Source: Campaign website, www.sauerbergforussenate.com, "Stands" May 21, 2008

Simple paperwork plus accountability

Require all insurance companies to provide only one simple, standard application form and one simple, standard claim form per each type of service.

Require physicians to publish their fees to inform and educate patients prior to their treatment.

Source: Campaign website, www.sauerbergforussenate.com, "Stands" May 21, 2008

Penalties for denial of coverage by insurance companies

Make insurance coverage no longer an "if" by imposing stiff financial penalties on insurance companies who deny coverage as a result of pre-existing conditions.
Source: Campaign website, www.sauerbergforussenate.com, "Stands" May 21, 2008

End frivolous lawsuits with administrative health courts

Establish Administrative Health Courts to reduce the tax burden of crowded state courts, lower healthcare fees and ensure a fair decision making process.
Source: Campaign website, www.sauerbergforussenate.com, "Stands" May 21, 2008

Eliminating fraud and waste in Medicare

Create a Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Task Force to eliminate the $60 billion that Medicare and Medicaid fraud costs seniors and taxpayers every year.
Source: Campaign website, www.sauerbergforussenate.com, "Stands" May 21, 2008

Other candidates on Health Care: Steven Sauerberg on other issues:
IL Gubernatorial:
Rod Blagojevich
IL Senatorial:
Barack Obama
Kathy Cummings
Larry Stafford
Richard Durbin


2008 Senate retirements:

Wayne Allard(R,CO)
Larry Craig(R,ID)
Pete Domenici(R,NM)
Chuck Hagel(R,NE)
Trent Lott(R,MS)
Craig Thomas(R,WY)
John Warner(R,VA)

Incoming Obama Administration:

Pres.Barack Obama
V.P.Joe Biden
State:Hillary Clinton
HHS:Tom Daschle
Staff:Rahm Emanuel
DHS:Janet Napolitano
DOC:Bill Richardson
DoD:Robert Gates
A.G.:Eric Holder
Treas.:Tim Geithner
Winners of 2008 Senate Races:
( * if new to the Senate)
AK:*Begich over Stevens
AL:Sessions
AR:Pryor
CO:*Udall
DE:Biden and Kaufman
GA:Chambliss v.Martin (Dec. 2 runoff)
IA:Harkin
ID:*Risch
IL:Durbin
KS:Roberts
KY:McConnell
LA:Landrieu
MA:Kerry
ME:Collins
MI:Levin
MN:Coleman v.Franken (recounting as of Dec.1)
MS4:Wicker
MS6:Cochran
MT:Baucus
NC:*Hagan over Dole
NE:*Johanns
NH:*Shaheen over Sununu
NJ:Lautenberg
NM:*Udall
OK:Inhofe
OR:*Merkley over Smith
RI:Reed
SC:Graham
SD:Johnson
TN:Alexander
TX:Cornyn
VA:*Warner
WV:Rockefeller
WY4:Barrasso
WY6:Enzi
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Jobs
Principles
Social Security
Tax Reform
Technology
War/Peace
Welfare

Other Senators
House of Representatives
SenateMatch (matching quiz)
Senate Votes (analysis)
House Votes
Bill Sponsorships
Affiliations
Policy Reports
Group Ratings





Page last updated: Dec 03, 2008