Candidate Review - Health Care - Chris Dodd

Dodd says at the beginning of his section on health care, "There is no more important issue this election than getting health care right." I'm not sure I can go along with that. It is important, but I'd say getting foreign policy, particularly Iraq, might be more immediate and, therefore, more important.

At any rate his plan is the popular give to the people what Senators already have.

The Dodd plan will create a health insurance marketplace called Universal HealthMart that is based on, and parallel to, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP). Every American will have access to the same plans that members of Congress have. Alternatively, people and businesses can keep their existing insurance arrangements if they want to.

He then has this fascinating phrase.

Universal coverage will be achieved through a shared mandate on individuals and businesses: universal coverage through universal responsibility.

Republicans like the term responsibility so maybe that's what he is shooting for; but I'm not sure if Dodd and the Republicans are using it in the same way. I think Dodd means that Everybody is responsible for Everybody's Health Care; Republicans mean, I believe, that Everybody is responsible for their own health care.

At any rate this is a crowd pleasing plan and does walk the line pretty nicely, I think.