Government
Richardson: Expand Medicare, mandate coverage
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 27, 2007
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, has offered an outline for his health care policy plans while campaigning in Iowa early this month. He proposes reforming the U.S. health system by letting Americans age 55 to 64 enroll in Medicare, mandating that all Americans have health coverage, requiring employers to cover their fair share of employee health costs, boosting funding for the Veterans Health Administration and letting dependents remain on parents' health insurance until age 25, among other provisions.
He said his blueprint would require no new bureaucracies and no new taxes. "By streamlining the system, increasing efficiency, and asking everyone to pay their fair share, we can make accessible, affordable health care a reality for everyone," he said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/08/27/gvbf0827.htm.
