Mandel Unveils Healthcare Plan

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel has released a ten-point health care blueprint as an alternative to the federal Affordable Care Act. With just two weeks until Election Day Mandel unveiled his plan at an orthopedic private practice in Westlake. Point one of the plan is to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which has been a centerpiece of his campaign. “Some people call it Obamacare, some people call it the Affordable health care act. I call it what I believe it is: the federal government takeover of healthcare," Mandel said. Several of the rest of Mandel’s ten points are principles that Republicans in general have applied to health care, such as tort reform, allowing patients cross state lines to buy insurance, encouraging medical savings accounts, and giving Medicaid block grants to states. Others you don’t hear so often, such as giving a tax deduction for health insurance to those who must buy it on their own. Mandel says that would help people get coverage for pre-existing conditions – although he doesn’t say how. “The way to provide coverage for pre-existing is not to have the federal government take over the health care system. It’s to change the tax code to make it more friendly to small businesses and to people who are self employed, and more friendly to workers who may want to move from job to job.â€? Democratic incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown’s campaign calls the plan “slogans over substance.â€? Spokesperson Sadie Weiner said it would do little to expand access to health care, and repealing the Affordable Care Act would have immediate repercussions. “Big insurance companies can kick you off your plan if you get sick. Those same big insurance companies can refuse to cover you if you have a pre-existing consition, and millions of young adults would be kicked off their parents plans when they graduate and begin looking for a job if Josh Mandel has his way on this.â€? The two candidates will have their final debate of the campaign Thursday night in Cincinnati.