I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. Yesterday we considered al gore's flawed health care proposals. What about his rival's?
Bill Bradley is the first credible presidential candidate who'd abolish Medicaid, allow low-income families to buy private insurance instead, and give tax relief to those who buy their own insurance.
Sounds good, doesn't it?
But Bradley's tax credits would penalize low-income workers by increasing marginal tax rates — effectively taking 73 cents out of the last dollar of wages.
It would encourage middle-income families to purchase too much insurance, and it would turn the nation's health plan for federal employees into a dumping ground for the sickest, most costly patients.
And rather than creating private options for Medicare (as it does for Medicaid), the plan would enlarge and expand this federal program for seniors.
Bradley estimates the plan will cost $65 billion a year. Harvard university professor Martin Feldstein, however, puts the price tag at $110 billion in the first year alone.
We went through this with Bill Clinton. We don't need to do it with Bill Bradley.
Those are my ideas, and at the NCPA we know ideas can change the world. I'm Pete du Pont. Next time, USA,Inc.