Workers Set Deadline for Presidential Candidates to Issue Detailed Plans on Health Care

Washington, DC –– On the eve of the first presidential debate of the 2008 campaign, members of SEIU called on all presidential candidates to release detailed health care plans by August 1 of this year. SEIU will evaluate the plans based on how many people they cover, the cost, and whether they meet basic principles such as ensuring a choice of doctors and providing for preventive care.

“Working people across this country deserve answers from the candidates on how they’re going to ensure health care coverage for everyone,” said Anna Burger, Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU. “We’ve had too much rhetoric and not nearly enough specifics from the candidates. There’s too much at stake in this election for voters to have to wait any longer.”

SEIU recently sponsored (with the Center for American Progress Action Fund) New Leadership on Health Care: A Presidential Forum at UNLV in Las Vegas, at which seven of the eight Democratic candidates responded to questions about their ideas for health care reform. All of the Republican candidates were invited but chose not to attend the forum. To date, John Edwards is the only candidate to provide a detailed health care plan.

According to a recent poll conducted by SEIU’s Americans for Health Care, voters in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina all agree that health care will be the most important or one of the most important issues in making their voting decision. But a majority of voters agree that they haven’t heard enough about health care from the candidates.

“Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, the health care crisis affects everyone in this country,” said Burger. “Voters want to know where all of the candidates for president stand on this issue. We need to have details.”