Figure ES-1. Features of Leading Candidates’ Approaches to Health Care Reform ClintonEdwardsObamaGiulianiHuckabeeMcCainRomney Individual Mandate Yes Children onlyNo Employer Shared Responsibility Large firms offer or contribute X% of payroll Offer or contribute 6% of payroll Offer or contribute X% of payroll No Medicaid/ SCHIP Expansion Yes Parents/children up to 250% FPL; childless adults up to 100% FPL YesNo Private Insurance Markets New group Health Choices Menu through FEHBP with private & public plan options New group regional Health Care Markets with private & public plan options New group National Health Insurance Exchange with private & public plan options Purchase private individual insurance in any state States as laboratories for market-based approaches Purchase private individual insurance in any state Emphasis on private individual markets Subsidies for Low to Moderate Income Tax credit for premium >X% of income Refundable sliding scale tax credit up to 400% FPL Sliding scale premium subsidies Health insurance credit for low-income Tax credits for low-income families Tax credit $2,500 for individuals, $5,000 for families Premium subsidies Quality and Efficiency Measures HIT, Transparency, P4P, Prevention, Comparative effectiveness, Chronic disease management, Disparities, Malpractice reform HIT, Transparency, Prevention, Malpractice reform HIT, Prevention, Malpractice reform HIT, Transparency, P4P, Prevention, Chronic disease management, Malpractice reform HIT, Transparency, Malpractice reform Source: Authors’ analysis of presidential candidates’ health reform proposals.

Figure ES-2. Where Leading Candidates Stand on Health Care Reform Features ClintonEdwardsObamaGiulianiHuckabeeMcCainRomney Most Candidates from Both Parties Agree Expand coverage Yes Health IT Yes Transparency Yes NoYes Malpractice reform Yes Prevention Yes No Some Candidates Agree Pay for performance Yes No YesNo Candidates Differ Universal coverage Yes No Individual mandate Yes Children only No Employer pay or play Yes No Changes to employer benefit tax exemption YesNo YesUnclear Yes Regulation of insurance markets Yes No Financing source Yes No Source: Authors’ analysis of presidential candidates’ health reform proposals.

Figure 1. When You Are Deciding Who to Vote for in Next Year’s Presidential Election, How Important Will the Candidate’s Views on Health Care Reform Be? Source: Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007). Percent of adults who say candidates’ views on health reform will be very/somewhat important

Figure 2. Support for the Proposal That Employers Should Either Provide Health Insurance to Their Employees or Contribute to a Fund That Would Help Cover Workers Without Health Insurance Percent of adults who say that employers should either provide health insurance or contribute to a fund Source: Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

Figure 3. Support for a Health Reform Proposal That Requires That Everyone Have Health Insurance, with Government Helping Those Who Cannot Afford It Percent of adults who strongly/somewhat favor a requirement that everyone have health insurance Source: Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

Figure 4. Who Do You Think Should Pay for Health Insurance for All Americans? Percent of adults who say health insurance costs should be paid for by: Note: Bars do not total to 100% because survey respondents who refused to answer or answered “don’t know” are not shown. Source: Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).