John Hagelin on Health Care

80% reimbursement for Medicare prescriptions

Q: Would elderly people with low incomes get all the prescription drugs they need at no cost to them under your proposals?

A: My Medicare policy includes 80% reimbursements for those prescription drugs that have been scientifically proven to be effective. Medicare will negotiate the lowest prices for drugs: My prescription drug benefit will not become a form of corporate welfare for the pharmaceutical industry - nor lead to over-prescription of drugs.

Source: Associated Press Sep 8, 2000

100% reimbursement for preventive health care

The side effects of prescription drugs have become the fourth leading cause of death in America. Cost effective preventive health care will be 100% reimbursable under my plan. Source: Associated Press Sep 8, 2000

Unhealthy habits cause most deaths--focus on prevention

Too many Americans suffer from poor health. We endure some of the worst health statistics of all the industrialized nations, yet we have the highest per capita health costs of any nation. Why? The answer is that our health care system is really a disease care system. It focuses on the management of illness rather than on the prevention of disease and the promotion of health. Recent research shows that 50% of deaths and 70% of disease in America are self-inflicted-caused by an epidemic of unhealthy habits. Yet we spend only 1% of our health care dollars on prevention. I would support cost-effective, prevention-oriented health care programs that have been scientifically shown to prevent disease and save money in the best possible way-by keeping people healthy. Source: www.Hagelin.org, ‘What Hagelin will do’ Apr 1, 2000

More prevention, more patient rights, less malpractice

Support health care strategies focused on prevention, including health education, and natural medicines and remedies
Support a Patient’s Bill of Rights to define and enforce the rights of insured patients, including greater access to specialists and emergency rooms, and wider choice of health care providers
Support a Patient’s Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied
Allow small business owners & the self-employed to have the same deductibility for health costs as large employers
Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts
Establish limits on the amount of damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits
Provide citizens age 55-65 the option of purchasing Medicare health coverage
Support increasing taxes on alcohol and cigarettes to help defer costs of Medicare and Medicaid.

Source: Vote-Smart.org 2000 NPAT Jan 13, 2000

Cut costs via prevention; allow more Medicare choice

Hagelin says he “supports preventive health care programs in order to promote health and cut costs by 50% to 70%; and supports financial incentives such as medical savings accounts for Medicare and Medicaid subscribers and vouchers enabling Medicare and Medicaid subscribers to choose any insurance plan or health care provider they desire.” Source: Vote-Smart.org 2000 NPAT Jan 13, 2000

Switch from disease care to preventive health care

We spend over a trillion dollars a year on health. The problem is that we don’t have a health care system. We have a disease care system. Almost none of our health care expenditures are spent on prevention of disease & promotion of health. This is the only country in which prevention is illegal. It has been banned by Congress from Medicare & Medicaid, from all of our government health care programs. That is why we have the most expensive disease care system in the world and among the poorest health. Source: Washington Journal, C-SPAN Sep 5, 1999

Cost-effective meditation bargain for taxpayer

Smoking cessation, prenatal care, stress management, diet & exercise, the National Institutes of Health in a major study published by the American Heart Association just declared that Transcendental Meditation, a stress reduction program, was the most effective and cost-effective treatment for high blood pressure. This program should be reimbursable under Medicare, because being cost-effective, it gives the taxpayers who support that program the most value for their dollar. Source: National Public Radio report Oct 10, 1996

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