The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area or League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).
Questions & Answers
1. What measures will you support to cope with rising costs of Medicare and Medicaid? Would any of these measures involve shifting additional costs to the states? (150 word limit)
The first step is structural. All care for the elderly, including long-term care, should be incorporated into Medicare. This would relieve the states of the largest component of Medicaid spending and encourage cost-efficient integration of health and long-term care services for Medicare beneficiaries. I will continue to support legislation that would authorize the federal government to negotiate reasonable prescription drug prices for the Medicare program, as the VA does today. This could result in price reductions of 50% or greater. I will also support aggressive research and interventions aimed at reducing the incidence and severity of chronic disease, which is a major factor in the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid. And I will support efforts to identify best practices in health care, which improve the quality of care and combat excess spending. None of these measures would shift additional costs to the states.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).
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