Stein promotes health plan

Democratic and Republican health care plans are “piecemeal responses to a deteriorating system,” said Massachusetts Green Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein in front of the Statehouse yesterday afternoon.

Stein announced her proposal for a health care plan based on a single-payer insurance system that she said would help manage high prescription drug and insurance costs.

“We have a health care crisis in Massachusetts,” Stein said. “Costs are spiraling out of control, we’re paying outrageous prices for prescription drugs, and hundreds of thousands have no insurance.”

Stein claimed the single-payer system eliminates inefficient billing and provides care for all citizens in need. She plans to implement bulk purchasing to reduce the cost of prescription drugs and will also focus on prevention by providing constant funds for programs concerning substance abuse, diet and reproductive choices.

“I’m not a politician, but if I were to pick a plan, this would be it, especially with all of the recent cuts to Medicaid and the soaring prices of pharmaceuticals,” said City Hall worker Barry Sullivan, who attended the press conference. “Of all of the candidates’ [plans], this is the best plan I’ve seen.”

Stein cited the single-payer insurance system as the most definitive aspect of her health care plan.

“The Massachusetts Medical Society has commissioned two studies that estimate the new insurance system will save taxpayers a billion dollars a year, even when you include individuals not receiving healthcare in the current plan,” Stein explained. “We cannot deliver affordable, effective healthcare unless we implement that system.”

Although Stein criticized other candidates’ plans, a spokesperson for Democratic candidate Warren Tolman claimed Stein’s assessment was incorrect.

“Actually, Tolman was the first person to come out with a single-payer healthcare program that includes the bulk purchasing of prescription drugs,” said spokeswoman Karen Grant Blackburn. “Our goal is to make sure that everyone in the Commonwealth has affordable healthcare.”

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Stein said she views her ten years at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as a comparative edge over Tolman.

“Tolman’s campaign is not strong on prevention programs,” Stein said. “I’m a part of the healthcare system; I’ve grown up in it. I know the ins and outs of the medical system.”

Additionally, Stein plans to treat environmental issues as health issues.

“The environment does much to determine the pre-conditions of our health,” she said. “Let’s not just treat people after they’re sick. Let’s create conditions of the environment that create good health. Clean air, clean water, reduced exposure to toxins; it’s a no-brainer.”