Research Paper on:
Health Care Reform Proposals

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
does not offer universal health insurance to its citizens (McLellan, 2004). Forty-three million Americans (or roughly 17.2 percent of the population under age 65) have no health insurance and the  vast majority of these people work or are dependents of a working family. Yet, conversely, the US spends more on health care than any other nation. In 2000, 13 percent  of the gross domestic product went towards health spending (McLellan, 2004). Americans spend the most, but-- essentially -- get the least. This is the problem. What to do about it  has been an ongoing debate for years and is not a major issue in the upcoming presidential election. A decade ago, President Bill Clinton proposed a plan for universal  coverage of all Americans, but he was not the first to do so -- Harry S. Truman first suggested universal coverage in 1945 (McLellan, 2004). Since Trumans administration, health care  has been largely a Democratic issue. All seven of the Democratic candidates for presidents proposed plans for health care reform; however, as the race has come down to two  major contenders, John Kerry and John Edwards, their plans are the only ones that continue to receive national attention -- or any likelihood of eventual implementation by Congress. Kerry  vows that a health care reform plan will be the first item that he sends to Congress as president (McLellan, 2004). His proposal would cost roughly $74 billion annual for  the first 5 years, which would be partially funded by eliminating tax breaks for Americas richest citizens (McLellan, 2004). According to his plan, the government would fund claims that cost  more than $50,000, that is, the cost of catastrophic health care, which should drive down the costs of health insurance for employers and provide a savings that could be passed