Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee served as Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. Before being sworn in as governor, Huckabee was the lieutenant governor under Jim Tucker from 1993 to 1996. He was born on August 24, 1955 in Hope, Arkansas.
Governor Huckabee's Health Care Plan
Huckabee's health care plan calls for a complete overhaul of the current system — a system that he says is "irrevocably broken." But the former Arkansas governor opposes universal health care and any government mandates that require citizens to buy insurance.
His plan will bring health care costs down through the private health insurance sector and the free market. All insured Americans will be able save with a Health Savings Account under Huckabee's proposal — not just those with high-deductible health plans.
Working Together
Huckabee's plan will bring together all the key players in health care — private insurance companies, health care providers, and the government — to work side-by-side in bringing down the costs of care and overhauling the system.
The former governor says there is no reason to raise taxes to fix health care. Instead, Huckabee will make all insurance costs — such as deductibles and premiums — tax-deductible for both employers and individuals. Low-income Americans will receive tax credits to help them pay for coverage.
Modernizing Health Care
Huckabee will also reform medical liability, make health insurance portable from job to job, and implement electronic records to modernize the way we store health information.
To improve health care quality, Huckabee will emphasize preventive care and chronic illness management.
"It is time to recognize that jobs don't need health insurance, people do, and to ease the burden on our businesses. Our employer-based system has outlived its usefulness, but the answer is a consumer-based system, not socialized medicine," said Huckabee.
Sources
Mike Huckabee for President: Issues: Health Care
http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=8
New York Times: The Presidential Candidates on Health Care
http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/healthcare/index.html
Get health insurance quotes in 2 easy steps.
Compare Candidates
See how the candidates match up head-to-head.
Choose two candidates below and click Compare.
Health Plan Summary
Expand the use of Health Savings Accounts
Make all health expenses tax-deductible
Provide tax credits to low-income Americans
Make health insurance portable from one job to another