Duncan Hunter on Health Care

Hunter has not yet addressed health care in his platform, but has said he is concerned that prices would jump with more government intervention. He backs private sector programs to reduce costs and keep the interest of consumers in mind. He would allow consumers to buy their insurance across state lines. Hunter ardently supports the right to life, proposing that federal law establish a legal definition of "personhood," beginning at the moment of conception. In the same vein, he would ban the creation of embryos for research and doesn't support research using human embryonic stem cells.

Health Insurance: Private/Government

• Allow health insurance to be acquired across state lines.
• Encourage more private sector efforts to lower costs, rather than using public programs.

Medical Costs

• Do not turn health care into a system where government does everything because prices will jump sharply.
• Cap medical malpractice awards at $250,000.

Health Savings Accounts

• Not currently addressed in platform.

Drugs: Costs/Importation

• Not currently addressed in platform.

Drug Safety

• Not currently addressed in platform.

Electronic Record Keeping

• Not currently addressed in platform.

Medicare/Medicaid

• Supports limited Medicare prescription drug benefits.

Stem Cells

• Ban so called "fetal farming," creating embryos for the specific purpose of being a source of cells or tissue.
• Deny federal support for research using human embryonic stem cells.
• Provide federal funds for stem-cell research that does not depend on embryos.

Public Health Issues

• Not currently addressed in platform.

Abortion

• Prohibit state or federal law "that denies the personhood of the unborn" and "provide blanket protection to all unborn children from the moment of conception."
• Establish a legal definition of "personhood" as the moment of conception.
• Support prohibition of "partial birth abortion."

Information compiled by Michele Foust, WebMD Medical News.

Medically reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

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