Clarification (March 18 12:38 a.m): This story includes a breakdown of four U.S. Senate candidates’ positions on health care reform. The breakdown does not include the positions for seven other candidates who have filed in the race but are not considered major contenders.
In preparation for the May 4 Democratic primary, which will decide who challenges incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, The Daily Tar Heel will present the candidates’ stances on key issues each week.
Ken Lewis
Durham attorney
- Enable Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prescription drug costs
- Eliminate coverage gap between maximum basic prescription coverage and catastrophic event coverage
- Support a government-run health care plan
- Allow insurance companies to sell their plans across state lines
- Subsidize coverage for small businesses and families
- End cost discrimination for preexisting
conditions
- Cap the amount insurance companies can charge yearly for out-of-pocket expenses
- Expand Medicaid eligibility
- Cover uninsured newborns
- Provide federal assistance to states to help them cover all of their residents
Cal Cunningham
former N.C. senator
- Enable Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prescription drug costs
- Eliminate coverage gap between maximum basic prescription coverage and catastrophic event coverage
- Support a government-run insurance plan and a cap on the amount insurance companies can charge yearly for out-of-pocket expenses
- End cost discrimination for preexisting conditions
- Prevent health insurance companies from dropping coverage in the middle of a catastrophic illness
- Do not tax plans that already provide good
coverage
