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Romney alters his promise of blanket repeal of 'Obamacare'
Source: Agencies |
September 10, 2012, Monday
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US Republican challenger Mitt Romney disclosed yesterday that he would keep several important parts of Barack Obama's overhaul of the American health care system, altering earlier vows for a blanket repeal of the president's most significant legislative achievement.
As if to acknowledge the growing importance of the United States' aging population, health care was much on the minds of both candidates over the weekend.
Obama was drawing new attention to Romney's plans to alter Medicare, the government health insurance system for the elderly, hitting the issue hard in Florida, a swing state with a vast population of retired Americans.
Realizing potential vulnerability on health care, Romney gave details for the first time on what he sees as the Republican vision. "I say we're going to replace Obamacare. And I'm replacing it with my own plan," Romney said. "And even in Massachusetts when I was governor, our plan there deals with pre-existing conditions and with young people."
Those are two of the most popular provisions in the hard-fought Obama overhaul, and Romney adopted them in remarks aired on NBC television's "Meet the Press" yesterday morning. Obama's overhaul bans insurance companies from refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions and allows young people to remain covered under their parents' plan until age 26.
"Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place," he said. "One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage."
Romney also moved to blunt Obama's attacks on the former Massachusetts governor's plans for further cutting taxes, saying his proposals would pay for cuts in overall tax rates by closing loopholes for high income taxpayers.
"We're not going to have high-income people pay less of the tax burden than they pay today. That's not what's going to happen," he said.
When pressed, however, Romney declined to provide an example of a loophole he would close.
Campaigning for a second day in the critical state, where older voters and workers approaching retirement hold sway, Obama yesterday was expected to highlight a study by a Democratic-leaning group that concluded that on average a man or woman retiring at age 65 in 2023, would have to pay US$59,500 more for health care over the length of their retirement under Romney's plan.
The numbers are even higher for younger Americans who retire later, the study found. A person who qualifies for Medicare in 2030 - today's 48-year-old - would see an increase of US$124,600 in Medicare costs over their retirement period, according to the study.
While Romney's changes to Medicare would affect future retirees, the study also said that Romney's plan to get rid of Obama's health care law could raise health care costs during retirement by US$11,000 for the average person who is 65 years old at present by reinstating limits on prescription drug coverage.
As if to acknowledge the growing importance of the United States' aging population, health care was much on the minds of both candidates over the weekend.
Obama was drawing new attention to Romney's plans to alter Medicare, the government health insurance system for the elderly, hitting the issue hard in Florida, a swing state with a vast population of retired Americans.
Realizing potential vulnerability on health care, Romney gave details for the first time on what he sees as the Republican vision. "I say we're going to replace Obamacare. And I'm replacing it with my own plan," Romney said. "And even in Massachusetts when I was governor, our plan there deals with pre-existing conditions and with young people."
Those are two of the most popular provisions in the hard-fought Obama overhaul, and Romney adopted them in remarks aired on NBC television's "Meet the Press" yesterday morning. Obama's overhaul bans insurance companies from refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions and allows young people to remain covered under their parents' plan until age 26.
"Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place," he said. "One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage."
Romney also moved to blunt Obama's attacks on the former Massachusetts governor's plans for further cutting taxes, saying his proposals would pay for cuts in overall tax rates by closing loopholes for high income taxpayers.
"We're not going to have high-income people pay less of the tax burden than they pay today. That's not what's going to happen," he said.
When pressed, however, Romney declined to provide an example of a loophole he would close.
Campaigning for a second day in the critical state, where older voters and workers approaching retirement hold sway, Obama yesterday was expected to highlight a study by a Democratic-leaning group that concluded that on average a man or woman retiring at age 65 in 2023, would have to pay US$59,500 more for health care over the length of their retirement under Romney's plan.
The numbers are even higher for younger Americans who retire later, the study found. A person who qualifies for Medicare in 2030 - today's 48-year-old - would see an increase of US$124,600 in Medicare costs over their retirement period, according to the study.
While Romney's changes to Medicare would affect future retirees, the study also said that Romney's plan to get rid of Obama's health care law could raise health care costs during retirement by US$11,000 for the average person who is 65 years old at present by reinstating limits on prescription drug coverage.
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