Analyzing the Kerry and Bush Health Proposals
Joseph Antos, Roland (Guy) King, Donald Muse, Judy Xanthopoulos, Thomas F. Wildsmith | AEI Online
September 13, 2004

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As part of their campaigns for the presidency, Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush have proposed policies intended to reduce the cost of health care and increase the number of people with health insurance. This is the second of two reports from the American Enterprise Institute on the health plans of the presidential candidates. The first report addressed how the two plans would affect the uninsured and the incentives driving the rising cost of health care in the U.S. This study presents an independent cost estimate and impact analysis of the major policies offered by the candidates to expand access to health insurance.

The health plans offered by Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush adopt different strategies to help the uninsured gain health coverage. Senator Kerry would expand government health programs and subsidize employers to provide insurance to their employees, with lesser subsidies directly to individuals. He would make a major commitment of taxpayer funds to underwrite his program. President Bush would extend new tax credits to individuals, and he would promote the purchase of high-deductible insurance. His proposals represent a smaller expansion of federal spending.

Joseph Antos is a resident scholar at AEI, Roland (Guy) King is an independent consulting actuary, Donald Muse is president of Muse & Associates, Tom Wildsmith is a consulting actuary for the Hay Group, and Judy Xanthopoulos is an economic consultant.

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About the Author

 

Joseph
Antos

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    Mr. Antos's research focuses on the economics of health policy—including Medicare and broader health system reform, health care financing, health insurance regulation, and the uninsured—and federal budget policy. He has written and spoken extensively on the Medicare drug benefit and has led a team of experienced independent actuaries and cost estimators in a study to evaluate various proposals to extend health coverage to the uninsured. His work on the country’s budget crisis includes a detailed plan to achieve fiscal stability and economic growth developed in conjunction with AEI colleagues.  


    Joseph Antos is also a health adviser to the Congressional Budget Office and recently completed two terms as a commissioner of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission.  Before joining AEI, Mr. Antos was Assistant Director for Health and Human Resources at the Congressional Budget Office and held senior positions in the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Management and Budget, and the President’s Council of economic Advisers.


     



    Watch Mr. Antos in an interview with Bill Erwin of the Alliance for Health Reform on "Will Health Reform Reduce the Federal Deficit?"


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