Dan Seals on Health Care

What He Says

"Health care costs have gotten out of control. We need some changes there." -- Dan Seals, WBBM "At Issue," April 13, 2008

"I want to change our healthcare system. I want to have a major overhaul." -- Dan Seals, New Trier Forum, January 10, 2008

His Record

For Cutting Funding from Medicare:

On Dan Seals' campaign Web site, he states his support for H.R. 3162. This legislation would cut billions of dollars from Medicare, including:

· Cutting access to oxygen by $6 billion
· Cutting access to wheelchairs by $900 million
· Cutting skilled nursing coverage by $6.5 billion
· Cutting rehabilitation care by $6.6 billion
· Cutting long-term care by $1.3 billion
· Cutting home health care by $7 billion

In the 10th District, more than 90,000 seniors depend on these specific programs for their lives. Dan Seals supported cutting billions of dollars from their health care.

Against Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors:

Dan Seals opposes the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. According to the AARP, "With the Medicare drug program, more older Americans than ever before have access to affordable prescription drugs."

On February 17, 2006, the Daily Herald reported Dan Seals supports "doing away with the Medicare Part D prescription drug program."

"I think that's a horrible system." -- Dan Seals on Medicare Part D, Arlington Heights Forum, January 12, 2008

For a Government-Run National Health Care:

Under Dan Seals plan, the government would make the final decisions on your health care -- not you and your doctor.

"I believe we need to develop a national program of health insurance." (Seals campaign website, August 11, 2006)

"I do support Medicare or at least a system that uses Medicare for all." (Dan Seals, Arlington Heights Forum, January 12, 2008)

"The way I look at it is taking something like the Medicare system, it would have to have some modifications surely, and expanding it to make it available to those who would like to have an alternative to what they have today -- which is often nothing. That is the system I would take. It would not be as robust as the best programs that are out there now. It would be a very basic program. And one that would be sufficient to handle the basic needs." (Dan Seals, Chicago Tribune interview, December 11, 2007)

Supports Government Health Care for Illegal Aliens:

Asked if he supports H.R. 676, Dan Seals responded, "I do support Medicare or at least a system that uses Medicare for all." H.R. 676 would create government-funded health care for anyone living in America, including illegal aliens. (Arlington Heights Forum, January 12, 2008)