• The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken, in part because it is only a "health care" system, not a "health" system.
• We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict.
• We do need to get serious about preventive health care.
• I advocate policies that will encourage the private sector to seek innovative ways to bring down costs.
• I value the states' role as laboratories for new market-based approaches.
• When I'm President, Americans will have more control of their health care options, not less.
• As President, I will work with the private sector, Congress, health care providers, and other concerned parties to lead a complete overhaul of our health care system.
• Our health care system is making our businesses non-competitive in the global economy. It is time to recognize that jobs don't need health care, people do, and move from employer-based to consumer-based health care.

The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken, inpart because it is only a "health care" system, not a "health" system.We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict or fundedthrough ever-higher taxes. We do need to get serious about preventivehealth care instead of chasing more and more dollars to treat chronicdisease, which currently gobbles up 80% of our health care costs, andyet is often avoidable. The result is that we'll be able to deliverbetter care where and when it's needed.

I advocate policies that will encourage the private sector to seekinnovative ways to bring down costs and improve the free market forhealth care services. We have to change a system that happily pays$30,000 for a diabetic to have his foot amputated, but won't pay forthe shoes that would save his foot.

We can make health care more affordable by reforming medicalliability; adopting electronic record keeping; making health insurancemore portable from one job to another; expanding health savingsaccounts to everyone, not just those with high deductibles; and makinghealth insurance tax deductible for individuals and families as it nowis for businesses. Low income families would get tax credits instead ofdeductions. We don't need all the government controls that wouldinevitably come with universal health care. When I'm President,Americans will have more control of their health care options, not less.

I also value the states' role as laboratories for new market-basedapproaches, and I will encourage those efforts. As President I willwork with the private sector, Congress, health care providers, andother concerned parties to lead a complete overhaul of our health caresystem, not more of the same, paid for by Uncle Sam at the expense ofhard-working families.

Health care spending is now about $2 trillion a year, which is closeto $7,000 for each one of us. It consumes about 17% of our grossdomestic product, easily surpassing the few European nations wherespending is close to 10% and far higher than any other country in theworld. If we reduced our out-of-control health care costs from 17% to11%, we'd save $700 billion a year, which is about twice our annualnational deficit.

Our health care system is making our businesses non-competitive inthe global economy. General Motors spends more on health care than itdoes on steel, $1,500 per car. Starbucks spends more on health carethan it does on coffee beans. We have an employer-based system from the1940's, a system devised not because it was the best way to providehealth care, but as a way around World War II wage-and-price controls.Costs have skyrocketed because the party paying for the health care -the employer - and the party using the health care - the employee - arenot the same. It is human nature to consume more of something that isessentially free.

Workers complain that their wages are stagnant, but businesses replythat their total compensation costs are rising significantly becausethey are paying so much more for health care. Health care costs areadversely affecting your paycheck, even if you're healthy. SomeAmericans are afraid to change jobs or start their own businessesbecause they're afraid of losing their health insurance. It is time torecognize that jobs don't need health insurance, people do, and to easethe burden on our businesses. Our employer-based system has outlivedits usefulness, but the answer is a consumer-based system, notsocialized medicine.