Presidential
John McCain
Republican
Republican
Barack Obama
Democrat
Democrat
below to view candidate responses to each question.
ACCESS TO CARE
What steps will you take to ensure that all Americans have access to the full continuum of quality cancer care, including prevention and early detection through treatment and follow-up care?
ANSWER: John McCain Republican
Response provided by candidate
John McCain's health care reforms would give consumers a level of health insurance coverage portability never before seen, allowing individuals to maintain continuous coverage through their life. His plan will empower individuals by giving them tax credits to purchase insurance directly while opening the insurance market to competition thereby giving consumers the power to choose health plans that meet their needs and allow Americans to stay with the doctors and providers of their choice. Americans would not have to change from one doctor or one network to the next every time they change employers. They'll have a medical "home" again, dealing with doctors who know and care about them. His plan would guarantee that there are affordable coverage options for everyone including those with preexisting conditions. Individuals with preexisting conditions who are currently unable to get access to affordable health care could join their State's Guaranteed Access Plan (GAP), developed by governors in conjunction with the federal government. Assistance would be available for individuals who need help purchasing their GAP coverage. John McCain would work with insurers and consumers to ensure that prevention and maintenance care are included as part of health plans that also encourage and reward healthy behavior.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
I believe that every American has the right to affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage. My plan will guarantee coverage for every American, regardless of pre-existing conditions, through partnerships among employers, private health plans, the federal government, and the states. My plan will save a typical American family up to $2,500 every year on medical expenditures by providing health coverage for every American; modernizing the U.S. health care system to contain spiraling health care costs and improve the quality of patient care; and promoting prevention and strengthening public health to prevent disease and protect against natural and man-made disasters. I will also ensure that evidence-based treatments are widely adopted by rewarding providers for achieving performance thresholds on outcome measures. I will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care, so individuals are fully equipped to easily compare health plans.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
Adequate: Patients must have timely access to the full range of evidence based health care services, including prevention and primary care. Coverage should be comprehensive, not run out, and fully cover catastrophic expenditures.
Available: Coverage must be renewable, portable, and continuous. It must not be based on, or constrained by, a person's health status or pre-existing conditions.
Affordable: Insurance must be affordable to everyone. People with pre-existing conditions or poor health must not be subject to premiums above their ability to pay. Annual total out-of-pocket costs (includes co-pays and deductibles) must be reasonable.
Administratively simple: Covered benefits, financial liability, and terms for making claims must be clear. Consumers must be able to compare and contrast different health insurance plans and easily navigate health insurance transactions and transitions.
Response provided by candidate
John McCain's health care reforms would give consumers a level of health insurance coverage portability never before seen, allowing individuals to maintain continuous coverage through their life. His plan will empower individuals by giving them tax credits to purchase insurance directly while opening the insurance market to competition thereby giving consumers the power to choose health plans that meet their needs and allow Americans to stay with the doctors and providers of their choice. Americans would not have to change from one doctor or one network to the next every time they change employers. They'll have a medical "home" again, dealing with doctors who know and care about them. His plan would guarantee that there are affordable coverage options for everyone including those with preexisting conditions. Individuals with preexisting conditions who are currently unable to get access to affordable health care could join their State's Guaranteed Access Plan (GAP), developed by governors in conjunction with the federal government. Assistance would be available for individuals who need help purchasing their GAP coverage. John McCain would work with insurers and consumers to ensure that prevention and maintenance care are included as part of health plans that also encourage and reward healthy behavior.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
I believe that every American has the right to affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage. My plan will guarantee coverage for every American, regardless of pre-existing conditions, through partnerships among employers, private health plans, the federal government, and the states. My plan will save a typical American family up to $2,500 every year on medical expenditures by providing health coverage for every American; modernizing the U.S. health care system to contain spiraling health care costs and improve the quality of patient care; and promoting prevention and strengthening public health to prevent disease and protect against natural and man-made disasters. I will also ensure that evidence-based treatments are widely adopted by rewarding providers for achieving performance thresholds on outcome measures. I will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care, so individuals are fully equipped to easily compare health plans.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
Adequate: Patients must have timely access to the full range of evidence based health care services, including prevention and primary care. Coverage should be comprehensive, not run out, and fully cover catastrophic expenditures.
Available: Coverage must be renewable, portable, and continuous. It must not be based on, or constrained by, a person's health status or pre-existing conditions.
Affordable: Insurance must be affordable to everyone. People with pre-existing conditions or poor health must not be subject to premiums above their ability to pay. Annual total out-of-pocket costs (includes co-pays and deductibles) must be reasonable.
Administratively simple: Covered benefits, financial liability, and terms for making claims must be clear. Consumers must be able to compare and contrast different health insurance plans and easily navigate health insurance transactions and transitions.
TOBACCO CONTROL
As president, will you work with Congress to enact legislation (specifically, S. 625/H.R. 1108) to rein in the most egregious manufacturing and marketing practices of the tobacco industry, and will you substantially increase the federal tobacco tax to help improve public health, save lives, and protect children from a lifetime of smoking?
ANSWER: John McCain Republican
Response provided by candidate
John McCain has consistently supported regulation of tobacco products by the Federal Drug Administration and is an original cosponsor of S. 625, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. He also was a leading voice in Congress calling on tobacco companies to cease marketing campaigns for tobacco products that target children, such as the Joe Camel campaign. John McCain does not propose to increase tobacco taxes, believes that the more efforts should be made to provide educational and preventive media campaigns to discourage any American from starting to smoke, and will work to make smoking cessation programs more widely available.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
I am a cosponsor of S.625 and support greater tobacco regulation at the federal level. In addition, I was an ardent supporter of reauthorization of the Children�s Health Insurance Program, which included a significant increase in the federal tobacco tax. As president, I will also increase resources for public health programs that tackle smoking, particularly for programs targeting children, individuals with mental illness and other vulnerable populations.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
ACS CAN, along with the prestigious Institute of Medicine and the President�s Cancer Panel, strongly supports giving the US Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the production and marketing of tobacco products. Today, the tobacco industry markets its deadly products to children with impunity. Every day 4,000 kids try their first cigarette 1,000 of them go on to become regular smokers. Enacting S. 625/H.R. 1108 will prevent more kids from smoking and it will save lives. ACS CAN also supports substantially increasing the federal tobacco tax because we know that every 10% increase in the cost of a pack reduces youth smoking by 7% and overall cigarette consumption by 4%. 87% of lung cancer deaths are caused by tobacco use and more than 400,000 Americans still die from tobacco related causes every year. Sensible regulation of the tobacco industry and increasing cigarette taxes will save lives.
Response provided by candidate
John McCain has consistently supported regulation of tobacco products by the Federal Drug Administration and is an original cosponsor of S. 625, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. He also was a leading voice in Congress calling on tobacco companies to cease marketing campaigns for tobacco products that target children, such as the Joe Camel campaign. John McCain does not propose to increase tobacco taxes, believes that the more efforts should be made to provide educational and preventive media campaigns to discourage any American from starting to smoke, and will work to make smoking cessation programs more widely available.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
I am a cosponsor of S.625 and support greater tobacco regulation at the federal level. In addition, I was an ardent supporter of reauthorization of the Children�s Health Insurance Program, which included a significant increase in the federal tobacco tax. As president, I will also increase resources for public health programs that tackle smoking, particularly for programs targeting children, individuals with mental illness and other vulnerable populations.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
ACS CAN, along with the prestigious Institute of Medicine and the President�s Cancer Panel, strongly supports giving the US Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the production and marketing of tobacco products. Today, the tobacco industry markets its deadly products to children with impunity. Every day 4,000 kids try their first cigarette 1,000 of them go on to become regular smokers. Enacting S. 625/H.R. 1108 will prevent more kids from smoking and it will save lives. ACS CAN also supports substantially increasing the federal tobacco tax because we know that every 10% increase in the cost of a pack reduces youth smoking by 7% and overall cigarette consumption by 4%. 87% of lung cancer deaths are caused by tobacco use and more than 400,000 Americans still die from tobacco related causes every year. Sensible regulation of the tobacco industry and increasing cigarette taxes will save lives.
CANCER RESEARCH
In real dollars, federal funding for the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Disease Control have been cut dramatically over the past five years. As president, will you reverse this trend and commit to a substantial increase in the budget for NCI cancer research and CDC cancer control programs during your administration?
ANSWER: John McCain Republican
Response provided by candidate
John McCain has been a strong supporter of cancer research programs both in the public and private sector since coming to Congress. He strongly supports our Federal medical research efforts, especially those conducted through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which includes the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Center for Disease Control. He has continually advocated for significant increases in funding for the NIH including supporting the recent effort to double the NIH budget over a 5 year period. As President, John McCain will work to ensure that the appropriate resources are available for continuing our vital medical research efforts so that our nation's cancer researchers can continue to discover treatments and possible cures for the millions of Americans who have been diagnosed with cancer or are at risk of a cancer diagnosis in the future.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
The NCI and CDC have made significant advances in understanding cancer biology, and translating that knowledge into effective prevention programs, diagnostics, treatments and cures. Notably, this knowledge has also benefited individuals with other diseases, such as autoimmune disorders. This early investment must not be squandered and as president, I will commit to doubling federal funding for cancer research. My health plan will also require coverage of essential clinical preventive services such as cancer screenings in all federally supported health plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP and the new public plan.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
Five years of flat funding is jeopardizing our progress in the fight against cancer. Now we need to redouble our efforts. The President and Congress should dramatically increase appropriations for NCI and CDC. If that is not possible, then Congress and the President should look to new sources of funding to create a special Cancer Trust Fund with the resources needed to carry out this fight. It is a fact that two-thirds of all cancer deaths can be prevented simply by acting on what we already know providing all Americans access to life-saving screenings for breast and cervical cancer, colon cancer and smoking cessation programs. And we must continue making investments in biomedical research to find early detection methods for some of the deadliest cancers. Only in this way can we reemphasize our commitment to millions of American families who face cancer every day.
Response provided by candidate
John McCain has been a strong supporter of cancer research programs both in the public and private sector since coming to Congress. He strongly supports our Federal medical research efforts, especially those conducted through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which includes the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Center for Disease Control. He has continually advocated for significant increases in funding for the NIH including supporting the recent effort to double the NIH budget over a 5 year period. As President, John McCain will work to ensure that the appropriate resources are available for continuing our vital medical research efforts so that our nation's cancer researchers can continue to discover treatments and possible cures for the millions of Americans who have been diagnosed with cancer or are at risk of a cancer diagnosis in the future.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
The NCI and CDC have made significant advances in understanding cancer biology, and translating that knowledge into effective prevention programs, diagnostics, treatments and cures. Notably, this knowledge has also benefited individuals with other diseases, such as autoimmune disorders. This early investment must not be squandered and as president, I will commit to doubling federal funding for cancer research. My health plan will also require coverage of essential clinical preventive services such as cancer screenings in all federally supported health plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP and the new public plan.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
Five years of flat funding is jeopardizing our progress in the fight against cancer. Now we need to redouble our efforts. The President and Congress should dramatically increase appropriations for NCI and CDC. If that is not possible, then Congress and the President should look to new sources of funding to create a special Cancer Trust Fund with the resources needed to carry out this fight. It is a fact that two-thirds of all cancer deaths can be prevented simply by acting on what we already know providing all Americans access to life-saving screenings for breast and cervical cancer, colon cancer and smoking cessation programs. And we must continue making investments in biomedical research to find early detection methods for some of the deadliest cancers. Only in this way can we reemphasize our commitment to millions of American families who face cancer every day.
PREVENTION
As president, will you pledge to support full funding for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and related treatment programs, and support H.R. 1738, the proposed Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Prevention and Treatment program (CCEDPTP), both of which utilize screening tools that are known conclusively to save lives and ensure that more Americans, especially the medically underserved, have greater access to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment?
ANSWER: John McCain Republican
Response provided by candidate
John McCain believes that cancer screenings, early detection, and timely treatment are crucial for helping Americans battle this horrible disease and improving our nation's cancer mortality rates. He cosponsored and fought for implementation of mammography standards and fought for expanding mammography and colorectal screening under Medicare. He also authored legislation that would have provided access to cancer clinical trials. He strongly supports programs such as the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, which provides a vital, life-saving service to uninsured women who may otherwise go without the screenings this program and potentially risk their health. John McCain�s health care reform plan would also work to ensure that all Americans have access to health plans that offer health prevention and maintenance benefits to ensure they are detecting illness including cancer as early as possible.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
My health care reform plan will ensure that all Americans have access to preventive services. Specifically, as president, I will establish a new public plan that will cover preventive services. Private plans that participate in the newly established National Health Insurance Exchange will be required to cover preventive services as well. Our health care system too often functions as a disease care system, and the time is past due for the federal government to demonstrate leadership and commitment to addressing this shortcoming. As I work with the Congress to enact a universal health care plan, I will support and expand breast and cervical cancer screening through NBCCEDP, which serves as a safety net for millions of women who would otherwise have no access to these screenings. In addition, I will support development of programs to support colorectal screening, such as that legislated in HR 1738.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
We can significantly reduce suffering and death from cancer by applying what the scientific and medical communities already know cost effective screening and timely treatment can reduce, perhaps eliminate, many common cancer killers. However, only 38% of uninsured women are getting mammograms and the NBCCEDP is woefully underfunded, serving only 1 in 5 eligible women. Tragically, we have no federal screening program for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths. These deaths are largely preventable, and we could begin to save more than 30,000 lives a year if we enact H.R. 1738. These efforts would ensure greater access to high-quality prevention, early detection, and treatment that could spare countless lives, reduce cancer disparities, and save billions in health care costs. It is unacceptable for our country to waste this knowledge and let millions go without lifesaving screenings and treatments that are critical to surviving breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
Response provided by candidate
John McCain believes that cancer screenings, early detection, and timely treatment are crucial for helping Americans battle this horrible disease and improving our nation's cancer mortality rates. He cosponsored and fought for implementation of mammography standards and fought for expanding mammography and colorectal screening under Medicare. He also authored legislation that would have provided access to cancer clinical trials. He strongly supports programs such as the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, which provides a vital, life-saving service to uninsured women who may otherwise go without the screenings this program and potentially risk their health. John McCain�s health care reform plan would also work to ensure that all Americans have access to health plans that offer health prevention and maintenance benefits to ensure they are detecting illness including cancer as early as possible.
ANSWER: Barack Obama Democrat
Response provided by candidate
My health care reform plan will ensure that all Americans have access to preventive services. Specifically, as president, I will establish a new public plan that will cover preventive services. Private plans that participate in the newly established National Health Insurance Exchange will be required to cover preventive services as well. Our health care system too often functions as a disease care system, and the time is past due for the federal government to demonstrate leadership and commitment to addressing this shortcoming. As I work with the Congress to enact a universal health care plan, I will support and expand breast and cervical cancer screening through NBCCEDP, which serves as a safety net for millions of women who would otherwise have no access to these screenings. In addition, I will support development of programs to support colorectal screening, such as that legislated in HR 1738.
ANSWER: ACS CAN
We can significantly reduce suffering and death from cancer by applying what the scientific and medical communities already know cost effective screening and timely treatment can reduce, perhaps eliminate, many common cancer killers. However, only 38% of uninsured women are getting mammograms and the NBCCEDP is woefully underfunded, serving only 1 in 5 eligible women. Tragically, we have no federal screening program for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths. These deaths are largely preventable, and we could begin to save more than 30,000 lives a year if we enact H.R. 1738. These efforts would ensure greater access to high-quality prevention, early detection, and treatment that could spare countless lives, reduce cancer disparities, and save billions in health care costs. It is unacceptable for our country to waste this knowledge and let millions go without lifesaving screenings and treatments that are critical to surviving breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
