Luetkemeyer, Baker spar over health care policies

By Greg Young

Published Oct. 21, 2008

Correction appended

In the race for the 9th U.S. Congressional seat, the candidates are sparring over their health care policies.

One of the fault lines of the health care debate appears to be the use of government mandates. Former state Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, the Republican candidate, has supported free market solutions for health care, whereas state Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, has expressed support for a partnership between private and public interests in health care.

"Judy believes that the health care system needs to balance both public and private investment," Baker spokesman Paul Tencher said. "There are market realities and there are market fixes, but there also needs to be some public input to the process."

Baker has also shown support for government mandates to ensure that preventative care is provided for patients.

"It costs a whole lot more to treat cancer after it has become full-blown cancer than if we screen for it in a mammogram," Baker said at a debate hosted by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, which was held Oct. 15 at Barat Academy in Dardenne Prarie.

The chamber has posted the video from the debate online.

Luetkemeyer said free market solutions give people more health care choices. He has expressed support for health savings accounts and small business health care plans.

"I think we can help ourselves if we are given the choice," Luetkemeyer said in the debate. "I support small business plans where small businesses are able to pool together and go to an insurance company to get a better rate. "

Luetkemeyer has also signed a pledge from DividedWeFail.org that he will work in a bipartisan fashion to support legislation that provides people with quality, affordable health care. 

The signers of the pledge include Missouri Sens. Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill.

Luetkemeyer criticized Baker's health care plans as increasing the size and scope of the federal government. His campaign has said that if Baker increases government mandates, it will decrease the amount of money to insure people.

"If you add mandate after mandate, there will never be enough dollars in the pot to be able to keep everybody insured," Luetkemeyer said.

The Luetkemeyer campaign has run negative ads pointing to a 2002 audit of University Physicians by McCaskill while she was the state auditor. According to the report, almost $10 million in revenue was lost from July 1999 to January 2002, due to insurance denials and other preventable write-offs. Baker was the interim executive director from 2001 to 2002. 

"I'm not sure that you have the ability to manage health care any more at the national level than you do at the local levels," Luetkemeyer said.

During a conference call Monday with reporters, McCaskill said the program was having financial troubles before Baker became director of the program. McCaskill said during the call that she endorses Baker's run for Congress.

Meanwhile, the Baker campaign has been criticizing Luetkemeyer on the basis that his health care plans don't do enough to address preventative care, which they believe can save money and lives.

"We need to have a health care system, not a sick care system," Tencher said.

The electoral impact of the candidates' health care proposals remains unknown, especially as the economy continues to dominate all other issues nationwide and in the 9th district.

"It is not going to be the No. 1 issue for many people," political science professor William Horner said in reference to health care policy. "For the small number of people that are having health insurance issues, for them it will be, but not for the vast majority of people."

Watch the debate on Youtube:

Part One       Part Two       Part Three       Part Four       Part Five       Part Six