League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
Ohio State Government May 2, 2006 Election
	Merrill Samuel "Sam" Keiser, Jr. Answers Questions Candidate for United States Senate; Democratic Party

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area or League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What measures will you support to cope with rising costs of Medicare and Medicaid? Would any of these measures involve shifting additional costs to the states? (150 word limit)

What measures will you support to cope with rising costs of Medicare and Medicaid?

I support all measures and initiatives to eliminate fraud, abuse and waste built into our health care delivery system. More than 25% of all healthcare cost is waste and fraud. I support Health Savings Accounts to provide incentives for Americans to assume responsibility for their own healthcare. I support all efforts to put more money into preventive healthcare. I support encouraging private and public insurers to provide incentives for reducing cost of premiums for those persons who practice good health habits and penalize those who do not.

Would any of these measures involve shifting additional costs to the states?

Shifting the cost of Medicare and Medicaid form the Federal government to the states does not solve the problems of rising healthcare costs. The contracts of poorly performing or fraudulent healthcare providers would be terminated. Incentives can be offered rewarding excellent performance in health care, in fact, there a move underway establishing Pay-for-Performance incentives by insurers in the healthcare industry

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League. 

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 4, 2006 10:15
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