UO Alumni Works

Permanent URI for this collection

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Open Access
Healthcare Policy Redux: A Tax Policy Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Proposals
(University of Oregon, 2008) Hobbs, Richard G.
During the 2008 Presidential Campaign, the candidates have debated proposals for solving America’s health care challenges. But the real health care debate will happen after America elects a new President and Congress. During this upcoming debate, Congress should not simply follow the new President, but should lead by thoroughly considering the various proposals and select the very best ideas for improving our ailing health care system. As an aid to the debate, this article collates the proposals of not only the three remaining candidates, but also those who have dropped out, then analyzes them from a tax policy perspective. The article first describes, via the statements of the candidates, the serious challenges facing America’s health care system. Next, the article describes the three categories candidate ideas fall into: Healthcare for All, Universal Healthcare, and Deregulated, Independent Healthcare. Then the article analyzes each category using classical tax policy criteria. Finally, the article discusses the efficacy of each category and concludes with which one appears best from a tax policy perspective.