Universal Health Care through Shared Responsibility 

“We have to stop using words like ‘access to health care’ when we know with certainty those words mean something less than universal care. Who are you willing to leave behind without the care he needs? Which family? Which child? We need a truly universal solution, and we need it now.“ -- John Edwards

John Edwards plans to strengthen America's health care system and insure all Americans by 2012. His plan is based on the principle of shared responsibility: businesses, families, and governments must each do their part to achieve universal health coverage and a better health care system for all of us. His reforms will also make health care more affordable and rational.

The Edwards Plan Will:

• Require businesses and other employers to either cover their employees or help finance their health insurance.

• Make insurance affordable by creating new tax credits, expanding Medicaid and SCHIP, reforming insurance laws, and taking innovative steps to contain health care costs.

• Create regional Health Care Markets purchasing pools to give every American the bargaining power to purchase an affordable, high-quality health plan, increase choices among insurance plans, and cut costs for businesses offering insurance.

• Once these steps have been taken, require all American residents to get insurance.

 Under the Edwards Plan:

• Families without insurance will get coverage at an affordable price.

• Families with insurance will pay less and get more security and choices.

• Businesses and other employers will find it cheaper and easier to insure their workers.

The American health care system is broken. It allows 47 million Americans to go uninsured and tens of millions more to remain at risk of losing coverage. It is needlessly expensive, burdening families and businesses without consistently delivering the high-quality care they need. [Census Bureau, 2006]

• 47 Million Uninsured Americans
• Spiraling Health Care Costs
• Fragmented System of Insurance
• Inconsistent Quality

Universal Coverage through Shared Responsibility
Edwards believes that we must achieve universal health coverage as quickly as possible. To get there, all parts of our society must share responsibility. Edwards will make a historic effort to make insurance affordable and easy to obtain through new regional Health Care Markets, tax credits, and expanded Medicaid and children's health insurance programs. In return, employers must contribute their fair share and individuals must take responsibility for themselves and their families by signing up for an affordable plan. John Edwards' vision for health care reform is built on four steps:

1. Business Responsibility

2. Government Responsibility

• Offer New Health Insurance Tax Credits
• Expand Medicaid and SCHIP
• Require Fair Terms for Health Insurance
• Secure the Health Care Safety Net

3. New Health Care Markets

• Freedom and Security
• Choice between Public and Private Insurers
• Promoting Affordable Care
• Reducing Burdens for Businesses

4. Individual Responsibility

Today, John Edwards outlined his agenda to help Americans get better care at lower cost. Comprehensive coverage for all American residents will allow everyone to get preventive and primary care and Health Care Markets will pioneer efforts to improve quality. Edwards will apply his shared responsibility philosophy to ask everyone – hospitals, doctors, nurses, government, and individuals – to work together to make health care more effective and more efficient.

1. Help Doctors Deliver the Best Care

• Promote Evidence-Based Medicine
• Pioneer New Ways to Pay for Health Care
• Prevent Medical Errors

2. Invest in Preventive Care and Health

• Promote Preventive Care
• Improve the Treatment of Chronic Diseases

3. Empower Patients through Transparency

4. Reduce Health Disparities

5. Improve Productivity with Information Technology

• Adopt Electronic Medical Records
• Support Local Infrastructure

6. Protect Patients against Dangerous Medicines