Candidate Healthcare Comparison Tool

As the 2008 Presidential Race heats up, one of the largest issues looming in front of all candidates is the question of healthcare: how much, how should it be implemented and funded, who should it cover, what will it cover, where will the money come from, who will provide oversight, yadda yadda yadda.

I recently came across a post with a link to a tool that apparently provides the capacity to compare candidate healthcare plans four-at-a-time; I’m not directly familiar with the plans supported by any of the candidates, nor with the ins and outs of each plan, so I’m posting this here for people to examine and respond to.

Below the jump, read an excerpt of the post I read, follow the link, and check out the tool. I’ve got four questions at the end that I’d like readers to answer in comments. (Hat-tip Delphooie)

This website allows you to compare, side by side, the healthcare plans up to four candidates are supporting.

Voters have identified health care as the leading domestic issue for the government to address and for the presidential candidates to discuss in the 2008 campaign. In particular, voters would like to hear the candidates’ positions on reducing the cost of health care and health insurance and expanding coverage to the 47 million uninsured Americans.

The presidential candidates vary greatly in the extent to which they have discussed health care issues to date. Some have issued detailed proposals or have indicated that proposals are forthcoming. Others have articulated positions on specific health care issues or critiqued the positions and plans of other candidates in response to questions but have not offered their own proposals.

This side-by-side comparison of the candidates’ positions on health care was prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation with the assistance of Health Policy Alternatives, Inc. and is based on information appearing on the candidates’ websites as supplemented by information from candidate speeches, the campaign debates and news reports. The sources of information are identified for each candidate’s summary (with links to the Internet). The comparison highlights information on the candidates’ positions related to access to health care coverage, cost containment, improving the quality of care and financing. Information will be updated regularly as the campaign unfolds.

To create a custom side by side summary, select up to four candidates and click the “Compare” button.

My questions for the reader are as follows:

1. Do the plans represented by the tool appear to accurately reflect the candidate’s stated plan?

2. Do the comparisons drawn appear to be legitimate and clear?

3. Does this tool cover ~all~ the Presidential candidates (as known to date) for 2008?

4. Does this tool appear to be useful and valuable, in light of the above questions (and answers)?

Please answer in comments.

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Posted to ePluribus Media 2.0, DailyKos, BelowBoston, BooMan Tribune, My Left Wing and DocuDharma.

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