Democratic Candidates Discuss Health Care Proposals in Forums

GWEN IFILL:

In nine days, voters in Iowa begin choosing a presidential nominee. NewsHour correspondent Susan Dentzer participated in discussions with many of the candidates about one of the year's biggest issues, health care. Tonight, we listen in.

The Health Unit is a partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

SUSAN DENTZER, NewsHour Health Correspondent:

Health care is now the top domestic issue for Democrats, and that includes those running for president in 2008, so candidates were invited to discuss the topic in a recent series of forums at the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), New York: All Americans should have quality, affordable health care.

FORMER SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), Presidential Candidate: We must have a universal health care system.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), New Mexico: Doesn't matter who you are, whether you're a ditch digger or a CEO. We have to make sure everybody is insured.

SUSAN DENTZER:

The forums were organized by the left-leaning Families USA, an advocacy group, and the right-leaning Federation of American Hospitals, which represents for-profit investor-owned hospital chains.

Five Democrats agreed to participate: New York Sen. Hillary Clinton; former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards; New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; Delaware Sen. Joe Biden; and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

A panel of journalists, including me, probed the candidates for roughly an hour apiece on a range of health issues, but most of the discussion centered on two key ones: expanding health insurance coverage for those who don't have it, and reining in health costs for everybody.

SUSAN DENTZER:

The candidates were unanimous in responding to our first question.

Do you believe all Americans should have health insurance coverage?

JOHN EDWARDS:

The answer is yes to the question. I'm proud of the fact that I was the first presidential candidate, Democrat or Republican, to come out with a comprehensive, truly universal health care plan.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON:

We have a federal government that hasn't made a serious effort on health care reform in over a decade.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON:

We have a health care crisis in America, 47 million Americans uninsured. We have to act. And it appears as though there's a growing consensus to do that.

SUSAN DENTZER:

But after that note of agreement, the candidates diverged.