I had the chance to represent Senator Barack Obama’s campaign at an exciting event at General Mills headquarters. Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona headlined the event with a speech focused on public health, prevention and individual responsibility.
The panel discussion focused on the health care plans of Senators McCain and Obama. My primary observations are as follows:
1. The goals identified by both campaigns are similar: make health care more affordable and portable, reduce costs of medical care and improve quality. And many of the ideas are quite similar.
2. Senator Obama’s plan looks very much like the health care reform work we have moved forward in Minnesota in the last 18 months.
3. Senator Obama emphasizes much more the importance of affordable access to care for all Americans. This is a key difference.
4. Another key difference is Sen. McCain’s emphasis on tax credits. A $5000 tax credit for a family is helpful, but with average family costs for health care running $12,000 per year, health care will remain unaffordable for many families in Minnesota and across the country.