No. 49: Provide easy-to-understand comparisons of the Medicare prescription drug plans
"An Obama administration will require companies to send Medicare Part D beneficiaries a complete list of the drugs the individual used the past year as well as the pertinent fees paid the previous year. Companies will also be required to provide seniors with online versions of this information, so that they can use it at a third-party comparison shopping site, similar to Priceline.com."
No. 51: Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions
Require insurance companies "to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans, regardless of their health status or history, can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums."
No. 52: Create a National Health Insurance Exchange
Create a "National Health Insurance Exchange to help Americans and businesses purchase private health insurance."
No. 53: Give tax credits to those who need help to pay health premiums
"Income-based sliding scale tax credits will be provided for people and families who need it."
No. 54: Create a small business tax credit to help with health premiums
"Create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to provide small businesses with a refundable tax credit of up to 50 percent on premiums paid by small businesses on behalf of their employees. To be eligible for the credit, small businesses will have to offer a quality health plan to all of their employees and cover a meaningful share of the cost of employee health premiums."
No. 55: Require large employers to contribute to a national health plan
"Large employers that do not offer meaningful coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small businesses will be exempt from this requirement."
No. 56: Require children to have health insurance coverage
"Require that all children have health care coverage. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will expand the number of options for young adults to get coverage by allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents' plans."
No. 57: Expand eligibility for Medicaid
"Expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function."
No. 59: Invest in electronic health information systems
"Invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records."
No. 60: Phase in requirements for health information technology
"Phase in requirements for full implementation of health IT and commit the necessary federal resources."
No. 62: Require providers to report measures of health care costs and quality
"Require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care and costs."
No. 63: Require health plans to disclose how much of the premium goes to patient care
"Require health plans to disclose the percentage of premiums that actually goes to paying for patient care as opposed to administrative costs."
No. 65: Establish an independent health institute to provide accurate and objective information
"Establish an independent institute to guide reviews and research on comparative effectiveness to provide accurate and objective information."
No. 67: Implement and fund proven health intervention programs
Implement and fund "evidence-based interventions, such as patient navigator programs." A patient navigator is someone specifically designated to guide patients and their families through the complexities of the health care system.
No. 70: Eliminate the higher subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans
"Eliminate the excessive subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans and pay them the same amount it would cost to treat the same patients under regular Medicare."
No. 72: Prevent drug companies from blocking generic drugs
"Prevent drug companies from blocking generic drugs from consumers."
No. 74: Reimburse employer health plans for a portion of catastrophic costs
"Reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers' premiums."
No. 75: Work with schools to create more healthful environments for children
"Work with schools to create more healthful environments for children, including assistance with contract policy development for local vendors, grant support for school-based health screening programs and clinical services, increased financial support for physical education, and educational programs for students."
No. 78: Improve recruitment of public health workers
Government "at all levels should lead the effort to develop a national and regional strategy for public health … government must invest in workforce recruitment."
No. 82: Fully fund the Combating Autism Act and Federal Autism Research Initiatives
"President Obama will fully fund the Combating Autism Act, which provides nearly $1 billion in autism-related funding over 5 years, and work with Congress, parents and ASD experts to determine how to further improve federal and state programs."
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