Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Key Healthcare Issues

In 2009, President Obama signed an executive order eliminating certain restrictions on stem-cell research that were put in place by President George W. Bush.

Information Technology

In a proclamation released on September 12, 2011, President Obama declared September 11th through the 17th, 2011, as National Health Information Technology Week. He encouraged getting more information about IT in healthcare, citing benefits in improving patient care and safety and reducing costs. The press release also mentioned the provisions listed in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which “promotes the use of health IT while significantly strengthening Federal laws protecting patient privacy,” and “provides landmark financial incentives to eligible professionals and hospitals that adopt and meaningfully use electronic health records while protecting the privacy and security of health information.” The president’s words served to embolden his stance that health information technology is essential for providing high-quality, efficient patient care.

Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts

Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts

Sustainable Growth Rate

Because he voiced his support of Congressman Paul Ryan’s budget plan, political and economic experts agree that Romney is likely to push for a debt-ceiling plan that will cut Medicare spending along with other nondefense discretionary budget categories. Romney has not outlined his own specific plan to either postpone or eliminate the looming 25% cut to Medicare payments, so it is unclear what Romney plans to do with the SGR. It is likely that, like Republican leaders in the House and Senate, Romney will support eliminating the SGR.

Affordable Care Act

Calling it Obamacare, a pejorative term that President Obama now says he accepts, Romney has called ACA a failure and a “federal takeover of healthcare” that is a disaster for the country. Romney himself was the architect of his own healthcare overhaul in Massachusetts that many say was a precursor to the ACA because it mandated coverage for all Massachusetts residents, among other provisions. However, it is this focus on state-level policy that Romney is now promoting. According to Romney’s campaign website, he would issue an executive order that paves the way for the federal government to issue ACA waivers to all fifty states and would pursue policies that give each state the power to craft healthcare reform at the state level. The federal government’s role would be to help markets work by creating a level playing field for competition. A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research says Romney’s reforms in Massachusetts worked, and led to more people being insured without skyrocketing costs.

Research

Because Romney has not widely discussed specific allocations of research monies, it is unclear where he stands on research funding, outside of his projected plans to cut federal spending and cap the debt ceiling.