Republicans Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. on Health Care Reform

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None of the Republican candidates for President of the United States will likely support the Health Care Reform Act passed by Obama, but each of the three former governors running has a different approach to health care. The following represents the positions of Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. respectively on health care reform. 

Rick Perry of Texas has the rather dubious distinction of leading the state with the lowest percentage of its citizens who have health care insurance. The lack of people with health care in Texas is a direct result of Rick Perry’s actions when he derailed any attempts to expand heatlh care coverage for Texans in the state. In addition, Rick Perry has battled Medicaid. Since his election in 2002, “Mr. Perry and the Republican-controlled Legislature have cut Medicaid benefits and provider reimbursement rates and made enrollment more onerous.”

Rick Perry’s approach to health care in Texas meant encouraging more doctors to practice medicine in Texas by limiting medical liability in malpractice lawsuits. 

Mitt Romney, as governor of Massachusetts, has an entirely different approach to health care reform. Massachusetts is one of the most liberal states in many ways. 98.1% of Massachusetts residents have health care insurance and/pr coverage. Funding for Mitt Romney’s 2006 health care reform legislation in Massachusetts came largely from small tax increases. One downside is that employer spending for health care is more expensive than in other states in the nation. 

Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. of Utah was inspired by Mitt Romney’s approach to health care care reform and has reportedly looked into the feasibility of a mandate in Utah to get more of the citizens of Utah covered by health care. In the end, Jon Huntsman, Jr. and the legislature did not go with a large insurance mandate as in Massachusetts, but a plan targeted at small businesses which ended up with only 165 small businesses taking part. 

The differing attitudes and histories of the three Republican governors toward health care reform are sure to feature largely in the Republican primary race for nomination. Many Republicans are claiming that Mitt Romney’s more liberal approach and history will be a liability to him in the race for the Republican nomination, but it’s hard to determine how much of a factor that will actually be in the race. 

In terms of the general election, were Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. to be in the running, it is likely that the abysmal record of Texas to see that their citizens are insured will come into play as well.