Hillary Clinton and Health Care

Forty-seven million Americans are without health care. Nine million of these with no health care are children. Even for those who do have health coverage, many are underinsured. Health care is an issue which Hillary Clinton has made one of her priorities in her political career.

Good health insurance is now treated as a luxury, only going to those privileged enough to afford it. While there are government health care plans for the underprivileged, these plans do not cover many necessary medications and medical procedures.

In the past six years, the costs of health care premiums have nearly doubled. This leaves more and more Americans without adequate health coverage.

Hillary Clinton acknowledges the Nation's health care crisis, and has been working for years to create a solution. When she was the First Lady to husband Bill Clinton, Hillary was on a Health Care Task Force. This task force proposed a plan to give all American citizens full health care coverage. This bill was viciously defeated.

In the years since her time as First Lady, Hillary Clinton has reformed her health care goals for America. Hillary Clinton is especially concerned about the lack of health care for children. For this reason, children's health coverage has been one of Hillary Clinton's main focuses in this issue of health care.

Hillary Clinton helped to develop the State Children's Health Insurance Program. This is the largest increase of children's health care in American history. The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) offers health coverage for over six million low-income children.

Hillary Clinton also helped create the Vaccines for Children program. This program was designed to deliver essential vaccines to children of low-income families. This Vaccines for Children programs has been quite successful, with 90 percent or more of America's toddlers receiving the most critical vaccines by the time they are two years old.

As a U.S. Senator for the state of New York, Hillary Clinton has lobbied behind Universal Health Care plans. Hillary defended the importance of health care coverage in times of vast budget cuts. Hillary Clinton also fought for the mentally ill and defended their right to equal treatment and coverage from the insurance companies.

The HIV Act, offers proper medical treatment for low-income individuals living with HIV was another one of Hillary Clinton's pet issues. Clinton fought to fund the Ryan White CARE Act, which would improve access to treatment and support for those living with HIV and AIDS. Hillary Clinton also lobbied for more funding to go to research and development of the flu vaccine, as well as diabetes, autism, and asthma.

In her Exploratory run toward the Presidential race of 2008, Hillary Clinton is making health care for all Americans one of her campaign focuses. Health care is not a luxury only deserved by the well-off.

Every man, woman, and especially child, should have access to doctors, medication, and any other necessary medical treatments. This is Hillary's stance, and if elected President in 2008, she will unquestionably make great strides toward a more comprehensive health care system in America.

Sources:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/healthcare/

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Hillary_Clinton_Health_Care.htm