Edwards Backs Mandatory Preventive Care

AP:

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said on Sunday that his universal health care proposal would require that Americans go to the doctor for preventive care.

"It requires that everybody be covered. It requires that everybody get preventive care," he told a crowd sitting in lawn chairs in front of the Cedar County Courthouse. "If you are going to be in the system, you can't choose not to go to the doctor for 20 years. You have to go in and be checked and make sure that you are OK."

He noted, for example, that women would be required to have regular mammograms in an effort to find and treat "the first trace of problem." Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, announced earlier this year that her breast cancer had returned and spread.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[MacKenzie]

02:20 AM on 09/04/2007

Wow, I brought up this exact subject hours ago and all I got for my trouble was to be called an asshole. Which I still am reveling in. I printed it out as a milestone for the wall here in the basement.

By the way, "Medicare for all" so many people on Medicare go wanting because the gov't has made the paperwork so screwed up it's like the IRS. I know, I'm a Medicare Provider and turn away a lot of people because there is no way I'll get paid and you can't keep the receptionist paid with no money.

[drblack]

11:47 PM on 09/03/2007

Freedom must trup all else or America is no longer what it was founded to be.
Edwards has TOTALLY lost my support by saying he would force people to go to the doctor.
This would be a terrible thing that is as rife with abuse potential as bush changes to FISA.
Untill a person is free to do with themselves as they see fit they aren't free.
Edwards you will never get my support.
Hillary won't ever and Obama is a ?.
Kucinich is the only choice left.

[amerdiaspora]

11:00 PM on 09/03/2007

i am disappointed
wouldn't have voted for him but now i really won't vote for him.

i mean my favorite leftie wouldn't say anything sooo bad

[farseer]

09:43 PM on 09/03/2007

Also: parents must maintain the right to make their own health decisions for their children and for themselves. Remember the horror stories -- the woman who was told she must have a caesarian section. The parents who were told they MUST allow their conjoined twins undergo surgery to separate them. And on and on.

[farseer]

09:41 PM on 09/03/2007

This is a mistake. I can see mandating dr. visits IF you're part of the plan. But everyone should have the right to opt out of the plan if they choose. In that case, of course, they would not have the right to the benefits of the plan. Adults must not be required to see the doctor if they prefer not to. (Who will decide what is a legit. doctor? What if someone prefers an acupuncturist, and someone else prefers Chinese herb medicine? Do they have those choices?)

[MissFortunate]

07:28 PM on 09/03/2007

I think people forget something when they whine about things like this. WE are already paying for people who don't go to the doctor for preventative care in higher health premiums. It's nothing new, we pay for this already. I don't quite understand why people don't understand this simple concept.

I don't want my taxes going up. Well, it's quite easy to roll back some of those taxes for people making over a million a year. And we don't have an issue with pouring a trillion dollars into a useless war but God forbid we make sure everyone has access to care?

You go ahead and not see a doctor for years and die 20 years too soon. If our health care was so fucking great, then why is our life expectancy going down and why is it lower than many other industrialized nations (this also is affected by the huge disparity of care for people of color.)

[NABNYC]

05:12 PM on 09/03/2007

You know, when you think about it, it is an absolute outrage that we get this wall-to-wall coverage about George Bush getting his colon-whatever test to watch out for colon cancer, and Dick Cheney getting his whatever heart treatment, while so many Americans are denied even the most minimal of healthcare treatment.

John Edwards is the candidate who will change that, and he has my support. The fact that he includes dental is also critical. They have now found that poor dental, and gum disease, can actually be associated with (and maybe cause) heart problems. Yet so many people have no dental whatsoever.

As far as the colon test goes, doctors recommend the first one at 50, then at 55, 60, I'm not sure how often therafter. A few years ago the test cost over $1,000. Which is lower than most deductibles. So even most people who have health insurance cannot afford that test. Yet we all sit and watch Bush get his, paid for by us. What a stinking shame this is.

John Edwards is the man. He will get it done. Let's get him elected.

[citizenofmars]

02:42 PM on 09/03/2007

It seems like a short slippery step from mandatory health screening to mandatory mental screening. Stalin, anyone?

[Misanthrope2]

02:11 PM on 09/03/2007

Many more troll posts here than regular people. Still proves they are scared shitless of Edwards.

[ThomasDoubting]

12:48 PM on 09/03/2007

Rather than some convoluted system that only looks like what the rest of the world is doing, while keeping the insurance companies involved, how about a FREE, not-for-profit, single-payer health care system ...Dennis Kucinich for President... Medicare for everyone!

[sinnerjizm]

12:30 PM on 09/03/2007

The so-called 'liberal media'(still makes me laugh) has struck again

Edwards remarkable healthcare stance is discredited with the SUV shit

[MissFortunate]

11:30 AM on 09/03/2007

http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care-overview.pdf

[fredamae]

12:28 PM on 09/03/2007

thank you...off to read now :)

[MissFortunate]

07:26 PM on 09/03/2007

You're welcome!

[MissFortunate]

11:07 AM on 09/03/2007

If you chose to be in the system. DId you not read that part. He's saying if you chose to be part of the healthcare system you cannot neglect basic things like preventative care. It's common sense people.

Delta Dental pays 90% of my care if I go twice a year for cleanings and check ups and only 70% if I don't. It's smart and it saves a lot of money.

Grow up.

[fredamae]

11:19 AM on 09/03/2007

"It requires that everybody be covered. It requires that everybody get preventive care," he told a crowd sitting in lawn chairs in front of the Cedar County Courthouse. "If you are going to be in the system, you can't choose not to go to the doctor for 20 years. You have to go in and be checked and make sure that you are OK."

He noted, for example, that women would be required to have regular mammograms in an effort to find and treat "the first trace of problem." Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, announced earlier this year that her breast cancer had returned and spread.

Edwards said his mandatory health care plan would cover preventive, chronic and long-term health care. The plan would include mental health care as well as dental and vision coverage for all Americans."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070902/edwards/

ok, he did say "if", then says the health care plan is mandated. which is it?

[MissFortunate]

11:28 AM on 09/03/2007

I will ask, because it's a huge point and I think it shouldn't be mandatory, but for those who want health coverage it should be there for them.

[ohiomark]

10:32 AM on 09/03/2007

Typical Liberal approach to government. Forcing health care on us and forcing us to go to the doctor.
Socialized medicine doesn't work in Canada and it won't work here. Besides, it we get it here, where will all the Canadians go for good and fast health care?

Memo to John Edwards: Socialism only works on paper, NOT in real life.

[daniel155]

10:22 AM on 09/03/2007

Under a lot of healthcare plans there is an annual physical so that might not be too radical. But like most things with Edwards, he says something without thinking about the consequences of what he has said. If he is so gaffe prone now, what will it be like in the general election if he is the nominee regardless of what polls say?