Clinton on healthcare reform

After Edwards and Obama and Richardson, Sen. Clinton hit the stage this morning. Here’s what she had to say about health care reform.

Not a lot.
Clinton included in her introductory comments a reference to the uninsured and underinsured. As an aside, the depth of understanding of the “uninsured” on the part of the candidates has increased dramatically; last year no one was commenting on the issue of lack of coverage for some excluded conditions. This year each candidate that mentioned health care included a reference to “under-insurance”.
Health care was not a main feature of her speech – yes, Clinton said health care is a right of every American, a statement that garnered big applause from the (highly partisan) crowd at TBA. The low profile of health care may be a reflection of Clinton’s deeper understanding of the difficulties in reforming health care, and the scars suffered during the last effort to reform health care.
And that was it. No review of her health care platform, no summary of the ills of the present system, nothing more than a few references sprinkled in here and there.
So, here’s the summary from her site, with commentary. You can also download a more detailed piece here.
Clinton’s platform leads with a strong push for preventive care, mandating coverage of preventive benefits in the FEHBP. Her plan also strongly promotes coordination of care for chronic conditions, looking to build off of private sector initiatives.
The other major platform plank is a prohibition on medical underwriting and exclusions for pre-ex conditions, as well as age bands. Insurers would not be allowed to charge different rates to different people, and would be required to take all comers.
There are also the mandatory mentions of electronic medical records, streamlined administration, and research and education on best medical practices.
That’s it. No mention of universal coverage, no open access to Medicare, no national health puchasing groups.
Overall, a not-very-ambitious proposal, coming from a politician who is much more politically experienced this time around. As Bob Laszewski notes, with experience comes wisdom, and Clinton is clearly working hard to (at least) not alienate insurers and big pharma. She may be a little too sensitive, as the image of insurers is at an all time low, and taking them on may fall on more receptive ears than it did back in the day.