home > Talk > Issues
Mississippi Senate Candidates On Health Care
Kenya Hudson
Interim Sen. Roger Wicker
by Ward Schaefer
October 15, 2008
Ronnie Musgrove
Musgrove displayed a commitment to expanding health insurance coverage as governor. In 2000, Musgrove signed a bill to expand eligibility for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). That bill also called for a community-outreach campaign aimed at publicizing the program. As a result, the number of Mississippi children enrolled in SCHIP rose from 562 to more than 62,000 during Musgrove’s administration. In keeping with his campaign’s stance against special interests, Musgrove is especially critical of the costly Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. The program, which pharmaceutical industry lobbyists heavily supported, does not allow the federal government to negotiate prices with drug companies, as most federal agencies do with other programs.
Roger Wicker
As a congressman and interim senator, Wicker has a reliably conservative record on health care, favoring what he calls “patient-focused reforms” and opposing increases to any government role in health care. Wicker voted in 1997 to create SCHIP, but voted against expanding SCHIP eligibility to 2 million to 4 million more children in October 2007. In fact, the first bill Wicker introduced in the Senate, the Making Health Care More Affordable Act, proposes many of the changes found in John McCain’s health care plan. Wicker’s legislation, which has been referred to committee, would expand health savings accounts, allow individuals and families to purchase health care across state lines, cap non-economic damages on medical malpractice lawsuits and provide taxpayers with a $2,500 tax credit to purchase health care.
Thad Cochran
Like Wicker and his fellow Republicans, Cochran voted against expanding SCHIP eligibility in 2007, on the grounds that it would move privately insured children into government coverage. Like Wicker, he has shown his support for tort reform, voting in May 2007 to cap awards in medical liability lawsuits at $250,000. In 2005, Cochran co-sponsored a bill that provided federal funding for state high-risk insurance pools.
Erik Fleming
Like Wicker and McCain, Fleming supports expanding eligibility for health savings accounts, which provide a tax-free way to save for medical expenses. Fleming does not advocate a single-payer health-care system, as he believes that cooperation with the health-care industry can sufficiently reduce costs.
Also see: Issue Analysis of Obama and McCain's Health-Care Plans
posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/18/08 at 04:08 AM. [printer version] Share |
COMMENTS
:: recentcomments
Feb 08, 2012 | 01:26 PMWant Medicaid? Ditch the Vanity Plate
Brian C Johnson: The courts will not allow the state to drug test Medicaid recipients, so why waste money and effort on it? How exactly are single mothers--who make up the majority ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 01:19 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Duan C.: Since you guys have turned the thread into a discussion of politics. A while back during one of our meetings we discussed a coming up with a grading system for our elected officials ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 01:06 PM
Want Medicaid? Ditch the Vanity Plate
Ronni_Mott: Republican conservatives are truly confusing. Aren't they the ones who want less government regulation? I suppose that only counts if its regulating things on their ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 12:35 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Walt: Renaldo/Blackwatch you have been simply marvelous in your insight and truth telling on this piece. So glad you're back. I thought we had lost you since I didn't see your posts for so ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 12:22 PM
[Editor's Note] Aloha, Jackson
DonnaLadd: Whoops. On second reference in the above column, I said "Air Force caption" instead of Army captain. I've corrected it above.
Feb 08, 2012 | 12:12 PM
Want Medicaid? Ditch the Vanity Plate
Laurie Bertram Roberts: I will say what I said before how does he even know how someone paid for that $30 tag. It could've been a gift they may have used their tax check because ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 11:43 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: Of course, people learn at different speeds; I certainly didn't learn what I know now about writing and journalism craft until I was nearly 40 (of course, that had to do as much as ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 09:56 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Kamikaze: Kudos to you and to your Prof. Cant take anything from ya. But the "problem" with the craft around here (and a LOT of things) is that eveyone considers themselves an authority. I ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 09:19 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: I don't want to derail this great thread with journalism lessons, but I'll answer Brad quickly about the problems with yes-or-no questions: Sometimes you can get lucky and get a ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 05:33 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Renaldo Bryant: @Duan In my post about corporate America, I noted that social justice and equity must be the only context under which interactions and contestations must take place. Simply ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 04:41 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Kamikaze: Well, Donna, as a "good" journalist. In my day..a DAMN good one. Ive gotten plenty of broader answers by follwing up with a "why" or "why not". and honestly the WHY of Kenny Stokes ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 04:14 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Duan C.: "Also, transforming Jxn has to be a metro concern, not just a Jxn proper concern. White Flight and residential segregation must be addressed......In the Jxn metro area, they don’t ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 03:31 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: No, yes-or-no questions draw completely different kinds of answers, and usually empty sound bites, thus derailing the possibility of getting an intelligent answer. Good journalists ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 03:18 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Kamikaze: Well, a why or why not follow up would take it out of the "yes or no" I think. I dont think Ward 3 needs another councilperson with a "career politician" mentality. The spectre of ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 03:01 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: I'm not interested in term-limit questions, or getting anyone to pledge to them), and I try to never ask a yes-or-no question, but the other ones look good. Thanks to both of you. ...
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