HD Blog

II.8 Health Care

A. AIDS Research: “As president, John Kerry will increase AIDS research funding at the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control and other agencies.”

Source: “The Kerry-Edwards Plan to Respond to the AIDS Crisis,” www.johnkerry.com

10-Year Cost: $1.768 billion
Source: The NTUF estimates that this proposal would cost $160 million in its first year based on the difference between the $240 million increase requested by the AIDS community for NIH in FY2005 and the Bush administration’s proposed FY2005 funding increase of $80 million (AIDS Action, 2/11/04). Starting with this amount and adjusting it for inflation over ten years gives a total cost of $1.768 billion.

B. Community Living: Enact MiCASSA and the Money Follows the Person Act to promote the provision of community-based health support services.

Source: “Freedom, Independence, and Choices for Americans with Disabilities.”

10-Year Cost: $4.151 billion
Source: In the 108th Congress, Kerry co-sponsored MiCASSA (S. 971) and the Money Follows the Person Act (S. 1394). MiCASSA authorized $50 million a year for three years to provide grants to help states improve community-based services, and the Money Follows the Person Act appropriated $350 million a year for 5 years to fund state demonstration projects. Assuming that these programs are extended for ten years with adjustments for inflation, the total cost of enacting these two bills is $4.151 billion. (Note: This is an addition to the NTUF study.)

C. Drug Treatment: Increase funding for “treatment on demand” programs.

Source: National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF Policy Paper 153, 7/12/04, www.ntu.org)

10-Year Cost: $1.292 billion
Source: The NTUF bases its estimate on a similar bill in the 107th Congress (S. 160) that authorized $125 million a year for five years to be appropriated for alternative treatment programs. Assuming full funding and extending the program for ten years by adjusting the fifth-year cost estimate at the rate of inflation, the 10-year cost of Kerry’s proposal is $1.292 billion.

D. Health Care Plan: Kerry’s comprehensive health care plan will extend coverage to 95 percent of Americans, including providing health care coverage for every child in America. This plan includes tax credits for small businesses, laid-off workers, and early retirees to purchase health care coverage.

Source: “Health Care,” www.johnkerry.com

10-Year Cost: $849.5 billion
Source: Kerry estimates that his entire health care plan will cost $653 billion over ten years, including $177 billion for the tax cuts (“John Kerry’s Framework to Cut the Deficit in Half and Invest in Affordable Health Care and Better Schools,” 4/7/04 Kerry press release, www.johnkerry.com). Removing questionable cost savings from disease management and information technology included in Thorpe’s estimates of the Kerry plan puts the cost of the plan at $849.5 billion over ten years (“Federal Costs and Savings Associated with Senator Kerry’s Health Care Plan,” Kenneth E. Thorpe, 8/2/2004, available here).

E. Immigrant Health Care: Restore health care benefits to legal immigrants.

Source: National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF Policy Paper 153, 7/12/04, www.ntu.org)

10-Year Cost: $11.606 billion
Source: The NTUF estimates the cost of this proposal from the projected savings from the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996, which restricted Medicaid benefits for legal immigrants (NTUF Policy Paper 153, 7/12/04, www.ntu.org). In 1996, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that this law would save $5.290 billion over 6 years. Extending the law to ten years by growing the sixth-year estimate at the rate of inflation gives a ten-year savings estimate of $11.606; undoing the law would thus cost an estimated $11.606 billion over ten years (www.cbo.gov).

F. Minority AIDS Initiative: “John Kerry supports the highest level of funding for the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative (MHAI) which assists in community efforts to improve the public health infrastructure to better respond to the epidemic.”

Source: “The Kerry-Edwards Plan to Respond to the AIDS Crisis,” www.johnkerry.com

10-Year Cost: $2.221 billion
Source: The NTUF estimates that this proposal would cost $201 million in its first year based on the difference between the $204 million increase requested by the AIDS community for MHAI in FY2005 and the Bush administration’s proposed FY2005 funding increase of $3 million (AIDS Action, 2/11/04). Starting with this amount and adjusting it for inflation over ten years gives a total cost of $2.221 billion.

G. Native American Health Services: “The Indian Health Service is severely under funded, and Senator Kerry supports meaningful increases for this vital means of providing health care to Native communities.”

Source: “Ensuring Tribal Sovereignty and Working to Improve the Lives of Native Americans,” www.johnkerry.com

10-Year Cost: $37.571 billion
Source: The NTUF uses Senator Tom Daschle’s estimate that $5.5 billion is necessary for full funding in FY2005, which is $3.4 billion greater than the Bush administration’s proposed FY2005 funding (daschle.senate.gov/sd_nativeAm_budget.html). Starting with this $3.4 billion increase and adjusting it for inflation over ten years, the total cost of Kerry’s spending increase is $37.571 billion.

H. Ryan White Act: “As president, John Kerry will increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act.”

Source: “The Kerry-Edwards Plan to Respond to the AIDS Crisis,” www.johnkerry.com

10-Year Cost: $3.138 billion
Source: The NTUF estimates that this proposal would cost $284 million in its first year based on the difference between the $319 million increase requested by the AIDS community for the Ryan White CARE Act in FY2005 and the Bush administration’s proposed FY2005 funding increase of $35 million (AIDS Action, 2/11/04). Starting with this amount and adjusting it for inflation over ten years gives a total cost of $3.138 billion.

I. Substance Abuse Treatment: Enact the Child Protection/Alcohol and Drug Partnership Act.

Source: National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF Policy Paper 153, 7/12/04, www.ntu.org)

10-Year Cost: $4.970 billion
Source: This bill from the 107th Congress (H.R. 1909) authorizes appropriations of $200 million, $275 million, $375 million, $475 million, and $575 million in its first five years, respectively. Assuming full funding of the bill and a 2.2% inflation rate after the fifth year, the 10-year cost is $4.970 billion.