McCain and Huckabee address health care and financial issues
John McCain (l) and Mike Huckabee (r) take questions from Divided We Fail volunteers (image courtesy of DividedWeFail.com)
Issues of health care and lifetime financial security took center stage during the AARP-sponsored Republican Presidential Candidates Forum at the Orpheum Theater in Sioux City, Iowa on Oct 25th. Republican presidential candidates McCain and Huckabee. According to a recent survey, close to 80% of American voters say they want to see long term care included in the health care proposals offered by the presidential candidates.
Senator John McCain and Governor Mike Huckabee both shared their ideas and solutions to our nation’s top domestic issues before a crowd of caucus-going Western Iowans. Dean Borg, host of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” moderated the 90-minute discussion solely focused on health care and financial security. Questions were also posed by Mike Gors, Editorial Page Editor for the Sioux City Journal and members of the audience. The entire panel was recorded and webcast and is available at The Divided We Fail website. While all of the 2008 Republican Presidential candidates were extended the invitation, only McCain and Huckabee attended.
“Through this process,” AARP National President Erik Olsen said in his opening address, “we seek answers, action, and accountability on these important kitchen table issues we care so deeply about — not just for ourselves — but for our families and future generations.”
According to a recent survey of AARP Iowa members who are likely to attend the 2008 Republican caucus “Ninety-two percent considered financial security issues to be important to their vote. Eighty-four percent indicated that health care would be either very or somewhat important to their vote.” Among these financial security issues is the financial strain of long term care. The average cost of long term care is currently $70,000 a year and currently 12 million Americans are receiving long term care.
“We applaud Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee for recognizing the importance of addressing these issues,” said Lisa K. Davis, National Director, Divided We Fail. “This type of rich conversation on health care and financial security is what Western Iowans, AARP members and the American people have been waiting for. We hope that the Sioux City Candidates Forum will serve as one of many where all candidates address these top domestic issues.”
Video of the candidates speaking can be found here: Link
More Resources from AGIS:
Long term care insurance comparison checklist
Filed under: Elder Issues, Long Term Care
Leave a Reply