Opinion: Democratic health plans -- not so different

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The National Journal today has a concise overview of the different health plans the candidates are floating, and concludes that the major differences are in the details. Which is interesting, given the strong interest voters have shown in healthcare.

A recent Times/Bloomberg poll found that healthcare was the top domestic issue among voters, and that 62% supported requiring large employers to foot some of the bill (31% opposed that) and 51% favored requiring people to carry health insurance much as drivers must carry auto insurance (39% opposed that). Both of those concepts underlie Democratic proposals. Using tax breaks to make insurance more affordable, the heart of the Republican approach, was a virtual draw, with 44% in favor and 45% opposed.

But key is that independents and moderates generally sided with the Democratic plans, and we all know that middle block of voters decides general elections.

The Republican contenders haven’t aired a lot of details yet on what they would do to address something that many Americans consider to be a crisis. Reports the Journal: ‘Traditionally, healthcare hasn’t been a driving issue in GOP presidential primary seasons because the party’s conservative base tends to care more about candidates’ stands on taxes, foreign policy and social issues such as abortion. The party’s 2008 nominee will likely focus somewhat more on healthcare during the general election campaign to appeal to swing voters.’

The Democratic plans are just so many shades of the same tree. All are looking for universal coverage of some stripe, though only Dennis Kucinich is pushing for anything like the kind of single-payer model that drives conservatives up a tree -- and doomed ‘Hillarycare’ more than a decade ago.

The upshot: For all the importance voters are placing on healthcare, it doesn’t seem as though it will be a decisive issue in the Democratic nomination fight, since they’re all so close on the issue. You can read that as further evidence that the lever-pushing issue for many Democrats will be electability.

-- Scott Martelle