Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Candidates debate the merits of the Affordable Care Act

Details

  • Description

    Part 4 of the first presidential debate

  • Duration 16:48
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

First presidential debate: University of Denver

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

It's between -- to view now let's move to health care -- I know there is a clear difference there.

And that has to do with the Affordable Care Act -- but Obama care.

And it's a two men who knew segment.

And it's at least two minutes each and you go first out.

Governor Romney you -- and repeal you line up to the Affordable Care Act repealed plot I sure do.

Well in part of it comes again from my experience.

-- I was a New Hampshire woman came to me and she said look I can't afford insurance for myself from my side.

I met a couple and Appleton Wisconsin and they said.

We're thinking of dropping our insurance who can't afford it.

And the number of small businesses I've gone to that are saying they're dropping insurance because they can't afford it.

The cost of health care is just prohibitive.

And and we got to deal with cost and unfortunately.

What what when when you look at Obama care.

The Congressional Budget Office has said it will cost 2500.

Dollars a year more.

The traditional insurance so it's adding -- costs.

And as a matter fact -- the president ran for office she said.

That by this year he would have brought down the cost of insurance for each family by 2500 dollars a family instead it's gone up by that amount.

So it's expensive.

Expensive things hurt families so that's one reason don't want a second reason it cuts evident in sixteen billion dollars from Medicare to pay for it.

I would put that money back and Medicare for our seniors number three.

He puts in place and I'm elected board that's gonna tell people ultimately what kind of treatments they can have.

I don't like that idea.

Fourth.

There was a survey done a small businesses across the country said what's been the effect of Obama care and your hiring plans.

And three quarters of -- said it makes us less likely to hire people.

I just don't know how the president.

Couldn't come into office facing 23 million people out of work rising unemployment and economic crisis at that at the kitchen table.

And spent his energy and passion for two years fighting for Obama care instead of fighting for jobs for the American people it has kill jobs.

And the best course for health care is to do what we did in my state.

Craft a plan at the state level that fits the needs of the state.

And then let's focus and get in the cost down for people rather than raising it with the 2500.

Dollar additional premium.

Mr.

President the argument against repeal.

Well -- four years of.

Go when I was running for office I was traveling around and having those -- conversations the governor Romney talks about.

And it wasn't just that small businesses forcing costs skyrocket.

And they couldn't get affordable coverage even if they wanted to provided to their employees.

-- wasn't just that this was the biggest driver of our federal deficit or overall helped -- -- but.

It was families.

Who were worried about going bankrupt if they got sick.

Millions of families all across the country they had a preexisting condition.

They might not be able to get coverage at all.

If they did have coverage insurance companies might impose an arbitrary limit.

And so -- consequence they're paying their premiums somebody gets really sick.

Lo and behold they don't have enough money to pay the bills because the insurance companies say that they've hit the limit.

So.

We did work on this alongside working on jobs because this is part of making sure that.

Middle class families are secure in this country and that let me tell exactly what Obama -- it.

Number one if you've got health insurance.

It doesn't.

Mean a government takeover.

You keep your own insurance you keep your own doctor but it does say insurance companies can't jerking around.

They can't impose.

Arbitrary like time limits today.

Have to let you keep your kid on their insurance your insurance plan -- you're 46 years old.

And it also says that.

There you're gonna have to get rebates if insurance companies are spending more on top administrative costs and profits than they are -- actual care.

Number two.

If you don't have health insurance were essentially setting up a group plan.

That allows you to benefit from group rates that are typically 18% lower band if you're out there trying to get insurance on the individual market.

Now the last what I'd make.

But before broken noses up sir no I'm not -- -- and I have five seconds -- -- -- -- was.

Is that the irony is.

That we seen this model work really well.

And Massachusetts.

Because.

Governor Romney did a good thing working -- -- Democrats in the state to set up.

What is essentially the identical model.

And as a consequence people are covered there it hasn't destroyed jobs.

And as a consequence we now have a system in which we have the opportunity to start bringing down cost as opposed to just everybody millions of people out in the cold.

-- five seconds -- a whale on behalf.

That I -- governor governor tell me to tell them until the president directly.

Why you think we need to send -- wrong about Obama well I did with my first date you're gonna go on a freeway eleven X ticker at.

First of all.

I like the way we did it in Massachusetts.

I like the fact that in my state we -- Republicans -- Democrats come together and work together.

What you did instead was to push through a plan without a single Republican vote.

As a -- fact when Massachusetts it's something quite extraordinary elected a Republican senator to stop obamacare you pushed it through anyway.

So entirely had a partisan basis instead of bringing America together and having a discussion at this important topic you push through something.

That you and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid felt was the best answer and drove it through.

What we did in a legislature 87% Democrat.

We were together 200 legislators in my legislature only to voted against the plan by the time we're finished.

What were some differences we'd raise taxes you've raised -- by -- trillion dollars under Obama care.

We cut Medicare of course we don't have Medicare but we can cut Medicare by 716.

Billion dollars.

We have put in place aboard that can tell people ultimately what treatments they're gonna receive.

We didn't we didn't also what.

And do something that I think that infant and a number of people across this country recognize which is put it but people in a position where they're -- lose insurance they had to and they want it.

Right now the CBO says up to twenty million people will lose their insurance as obamacare goes into effect next year.

And likewise a study by McKinsey and company of American businesses -- 30% of them are anticipating dropping people from coverage.

So for those reasons for the tax for Medicare for this board and for people losing their insurance.

This is why the American people don't want Medicare but what I want obamacare.

It's why Republicans said do not do this and the Republicans had a had a plan they put a plan out they put a plan a bipartisan plan -- was swept aside.

I think something this big.

This important.

Has begun a bipartisan basis and we have to have a president who could reach across the aisle and fashion important legislation with the input from both parties.

Governor -- -- This has become a bipartisan basis -- quick bipartisan idea in fact it was a Republican idea.

The governor Romney at the beginning of this debate broke and said what we did masters could be a model for the nation.

And I agree that.

The democratic legislators Massachusetts.

Might give him some advice to Republicans in congress about how to cooperate.

But the fact of the matter is we use the same advisors and they say it's the same plan.

-- What when governor Romney talks about this board for example unelected board that we've created.

But what this is is a group of health care experts doctors etc.

to figure out how can we.

Reduce the cost of care in the system overall.

Because.

That -- are two ways of dealing with our health care crisis.

One is to simply leave a whole bunch of people uninsured and let them fend for themselves.

To let businesses figure out.

How long they can continue to pay premiums until -- does give up and -- workers are no longer getting insured and that's been the trend line.

-- -- terminally -- and figure out how do we make the cost of care more effective and there are ways of doing it.

So there at Cleveland clinic one of the best health care systems in the world actually.

Provide great care cheaper than average and the reason they do -- because they do some Smart things -- They say if patients coming in let's get all the doctors together wants do one test instead of having the patient -- around with -- tests.

Let's make sure that we're providing preventive care so we're catching the onset of something like that diabetes what's.

What's today.

Providers on the basis of performance.

As opposed to on the basis of how many.

Procedures they've they've engaged and now.

So what this board does especially identifies best practices -- let's use the purchasing power Medicare and Medicaid to.

Help to institutionalize.

All these good things that we do and the fact of the matter is that.

-- that Obama -- is fully implemented.

We're going to be in a position.

To show that cost are going down and over the last two years health care premiums.

Have gone up.

It's true but they've gone up slower than any time in the last fifty years so were already beginning to see progress in the meantime.

Folks out there -- insurance you're already getting a rebate.

Let me make one last point governor Romney says.

We should replace I'm just -- repeal it but.

But we can replace it -- something but the problem is he hasn't -- what exactly would replace it with other than saying we're gonna leave it to the states.

The fact the matter is that.

Some of the prescriptions and he's offered like letting you buy insurance across state lines there's no indication that that some I was gonna help somebody's got a preexisting condition.

Be able to finally buy insurance impact is estimated that by repealing obamacare you're looking at fifty million people.

Losing health insurance.

At a time when it's vitally important let's let the governor explain what you would do well Obama Garrett is that -- -- you replace it.

Well actually actually it's it's it's a lengthy descriptive description but number one pre existing conditions are covered under my plan.

Number two young people are able to stay on their family plan.

And that's already offered in the private marketplace doesn't have the government that that mandate that for that to occur but let's come back to something the president -- agree yeah.

Which is the the key.

-- we have -- health care.

Is to get the cost down so it's more affordable for families and and that he has as a model for doing that at a board of people.

At the government and unelected board appointed board.

According to decide what kind of treatment you ought to have known in my opinion.

The government is not -- factor in.

-- in bringing down the cost of almost anything.

-- a matter of fact free people and free enterprise is trying to find ways to do things better.

Are able to be more effective in bringing down the cost -- the government will ever be your example of the Cleveland clinic is my case in point.

Along with several others I can describe.

This is the private market.

These are small -- -- -- enterprises competing with each other learning how to do better -- better jobs.

I used to -- -- businesses that should be to hospitals and health care providers I was astonished at the creativity and innovation that exists.

In the American people.

-- in order to bring the cost of health care down we don't need to have it and a board of fifteen people.

Telling us what kinds of treatments we should have.

We instead need to put.

Think insurance plans providers hospitals doctors.

On targets such as they have an incentive as you say performance pay for doing an excellent job for keeping -- -- and that's happening.

Intermountain health -- does it superbly well -- Mayo Clinic is doing it it superbly well Cleveland clinic others.

But the right answer.

Is not to have the federal government take over health care and start mandating.

To the providers across America.

-- telling get a patient and the doctor what kind of treatment they can have that's the wrong way to go the private market and individual responsibility always worked best.

Let me just point out first of all this board that we're talking about -- Make decisions about what treatments are given that's.

Explicitly prohibited in the law but.

Let's go back to what governor -- indicated that under his plan.

He would be able to cover people with preexisting conditions.

Lol actually governor.

That isn't what your plan does what your plan does -- Duplicate what's already the law which says.

Few.

Our -- health insurance for three months.

Then you can end up.

Getting continuous coverage.

And insurers -- company can't deny you if you if it's been under ninety days.

But that's.

Article and that doesn't help the millions of people out there and I -- pre existing conditions.

There's a reason why governor Romney set up the plan that he did in Massachusetts.

There wasn't a government takeover of health care was the largest expansion.

Of private insurance but what it does say is that insurers you've got to take everybody.

That also means that you've got more customers.

But the -- -- governor Romney says that he'll replace it was something.

But can detail how it will be in fact replaced and the reason they set up the system if you did masters because there isn't a better way of dealing with preexisting conditions from it just reminds me of you know he says that he's gonna close deductions and loopholes.

For his tax plan that's how it's going to be paid for but we don't know the details.

He says that he's going to.

Replace Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform but we don't know exactly which ones.

He won't tell us he now says he's gonna replace obamacare and assure that all the good things there that are going to be in there and you don't have to worry.

And at some point I think the American people after -- themselves -- is the reason that governor Romney is keeping all these.

Plans to replace.

Secret because they're too good.

Is it is because that somehow middle class families are gonna benefit too much from home.

Know that that the reason is because.

When we reform Wall Street.

When we tackle the problem -- preexisting conditions.

And then you know these are tough problems and we got to make -- -- and the choices we've made have been ones that ultimately are benefiting middle class families all across the country.

We're animal to a no I I after -- other glitches which is what my experience as a governor.

-- -- -- command and and laid out a piece of legislation and say it's my way or the highway.

How to get a lot done.

What I do the same way the Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan -- together some years ago.

When Ronald Reagan ran for office he laid out the principles that he was going to Foster.

He -- a lower tax rates he said he was gonna broaden the base you said the same thing you're gonna simplify the tax code broaden the base.

Those -- my principles I want to bring down the tax burden on middle income families.

And I'm gonna work together with congress to say okay how what what are the various ways we could bring down deductions for instance one -- differences would be to have a single number.

But the make up the numbers for 25050000.

Dollars anybody can have deductions up -- that amount and that number disappears for high income people.

That's one -- want to do it one controllable Simpson as a model.

And take deduction by deduction -- make differences that way.

There are alternatives to accomplish the objective I have which is to bring down rates broaden the base simplify the code.

And create incentives for growth.

And with regards to health care you have remarkable details with regards to my preexisting condition plan.

You obviously stayed up on -- my plan in fact I do have a plan that deals with people with preexisting conditions that's part of my health care plan.

And what we did -- Massachusetts is a model for the nation state by state.

And I said that at that time the federal government taking over health care for the entire nation and whisking aside the tenth amendment.

Which gives states the rights for these kinds of things is not the course for America to have a stronger more vibrant economy had -- -- terrific segue.

To our.

Load More