Alan Keyes on Health Care

Though Alan Keyes finds the current cost of health care to be prohibitively expensive, he does not advocate for a government-controlled universal health care system. Instead, he believes that eliminating the current third-party payer system will not only lower the cost of insurance plans, but also allow for more choice in quality and affordable health care. Keyes says that offering a tax-deductible health savings account and catastrophic insurance will further drive down the cost of health care. He calls for increased accessibility to prescription drugs and a stronger focus on preventive medicine.

Health Insurance: Private/Government

• No government-controlled health care plan.

Medical Costs

• Eliminate the third-party payer system to lower costs. He believes we need to put the consumer in charge of their own health care plan.
• Offer health savings accounts and catastrophic insurance to keep costs down.

Health Savings Accounts

• Advocates for tax-deductible medical savings accounts, combined with catastrophic insurance.

Drugs: Costs/Importation

• Allow for the importation of drugs from Canada and Europe.
• Promotes the use of generic drugs.
• Cap malpractice awards to bring down costs.

Drug Safety

• Currently not addressed in platform.

Electronic Record Keeping

• Currently not addressed in platform.

Medicare/Medicaid

• Currently not addressed in platform.

Stem Cells

• Against research involving embryonic stem cells.

Public Health Issues

• Promote diet, exercise, and fitness as part of health care.
• Emphasis on managing chronic conditions such as heart disease by diet and exercise.

Abortion

• Opposes abortion, unless it results as an unintended consequence of attempting to save the mother's life.
• Overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, and implement a Human Life Amendment to protect the lives of the unborn.

Information compiled by Rebecca Noelle Bates and Jennifer Parker, WebMD Medical News.

Medically reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

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