Democracy In Albany

Brooks:

Provide Comprehensive Health Care Reform. Tracey Brooks also knows we must address the rising costs of health care through comprehensive health care reform with real, affordable health care options and coverage for all, with increased incentives for medical research and innovation to improve the quality of care for people living with diseases and disorders. Tracey also knows it's wrong not to provide affordable coverage for every child in America.

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"We need to provide comprehensive health care reform and the only way to do that right is to work with both those receiving and those delivering health care services," said Brooks. "We must address the rising costs of health care, expand affordable health care options, increase incentives for medical research and innovation, and ensure that everyone in America receives health care. These are the right priorities for the Capital Region and for our country."

Brooks continued: "I am committed to working with our 13 hospitals in the District, which employ 15,000 people, to ensure those jobs stay here while at the same time improving services and making our health care safety net more efficient. We also must address the unfunded mandates that are crippling emergency medical volunteer services."

"I'm focused on the serious issues like passing meaningful legislation that will bring better and broader health care coverage, more jobs and economic opportunity and a better quality of life for all the people of the Capital Region," concluded Brooks.

Burridge, no Web site that I could find.

Freeman has no policy positions on his Web site.

Mittleman:

My impression is that we as a country have been talking about a universal health care system for decades with little or no progress made. Every time I hear of efforts being made it involves finding a single solution that everyone can agree on. I believe it is time to recognize that will not happen. I suggest we take a more pragmatic approach. We should design and implement 10 to 20 different regionally based plans throughout the country, letting each region define what it thinks would work best for itself. At the end of the "trial," say in three to four years of operation, we could actually see what is working and what isn't. We could also assess whether some regions, because of their demographic make-up, require different solutions. We could then make informed decisions to move this important issue forward.

I further propose that one of these trial regions should be right here in Albany. We already have a system and infrastructure that is in place, the VA Hospital, we should look into how it can be appropriately expanded to provide preventative medicine and urgent care to those who are without insurance.

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I suggest a government program that takes the heavy educational loan burden off of the backs of our young doctors and in exchange (for those doctors that wish to partake in this program) they pledge to work in "clinics' which are providing care to the needy, the uninsured and in rural areas to those where there are no facilities available today. The length of their service would be a function of their loan and perhaps the specialty they have chosen to practice.

Shahinfar:

Darius believes we can find new ways to fund health care, invest in our schools and cut our property taxes to the bone.

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Darius will also make good on the healthcare and services our seniors have been promised in their golden years. No one should ever have to choose between filling their prescription bottles and heating their home.

Steck:

[...] Steck joined with local members of Physicians for a National Health Program to express his support for single-payer health care.

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Single-payer health care, also called "Medicare for All," is a system where a public or quasi-public entity manages health financing. The estimated annual savings from eliminating administrative waste caused by private insurers is $350 billion per year. This money is now spent on insurance executive compensation and bonuses, overhead, underwriting, billing, and sales and marketing departments.

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Steck, an Albany County Legislator, also noted that 90% of the Albany County Property tax is currently being spent to fund Medicaid, a burden the County taxpayers would no longer bear under single-payer health insurance.

Welser:

a)    Probably by amendment, I am proposing we pass on the responsibility of vaccinating the nation to the Red Cross. You will be able to be vaccinated when giving blood. What could be simpler?

b)    President Obama has a plan, I think we should stick to it but not rule out an agency similar to the Postal Service administering health care. A UMS, United Medical Service.

c)     The lack of organs is costing US big bucks and needless loss of life not to mention, the pain and suffering of people waiting for organs. Either through amendment or legislation I will reverse current organ donation policies. An accident victim unless they indicate they do not want to donate their organs or the state they reside in decides to keep current donation policies.

d) I think there are a lot of inherent cost built into medicine The cost of acquiring degrees both for our nurses and doctors drives our Medical costs to be one of the highest in the World.