Return to Candidate List

Single-Payer Universal Health Care
Colorado Candidate Survey 2008

Response as of July 29, 2010        View sample US House Survey PDF in new window
Candidate:Jared Polis - Boulder, Colorado
Position:US House 
District:02
Website:
 
Question 1Would you support a publicly funded and administered, single-payer, private provider,universal health care system?
Answer 1:Yes
Comment 1:Solving our nation's health care crisis was a pivotal motivator in my decision to run for Congress. I strongly believe that access to quality, affordable health care is a right and not a privilege, and we must take action to meet our nation's pressing health care needs. From my work as a board member of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative and a Superintendant of New America School, I dealt firsthand with hundreds of children and families that lack healthcare insurance. David, one of our students at New America School Northglenn Campus recently was honored by the Adams-12 Hispanic Advisory Council. He and his family were homeless for six months because they lacked insurance and had to spend all their money on an operation to prevent blindness. Thankfully David's eyesight was saved and he is going on to graduate next month.
 
Question 2Would you advocate for legislation that requires Medicare to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry?
Answer 2:Yes
Comment 2:Yes
 
Question 3:I will advocate for single-payer health care reform when I address issues such as:
(Please check those that you believe are affected by the health care crisis.)
Answer 3:Yes
Answer 4
Advocacy
Issue
Areas:
Yes - poverty
Yes - inequality and disparities
Yes - bankruptcy
Yes - public health concerns
Yes - national, state and local budgets
Yes - rising populations and costs of prisons
Yes - educational improvement
Yes - businesses competitive viability
Yes - sustainability of Medicare

Comment :Establishing a single-payer, universal health care system will dramatically improve our economy, our healthcare outcomes, and our quality of life. Once we have addressed the health care needs of our nation, we will be able to solve other problems and direct the newly-freed funding to these projects. We will be able to work on improving our schools rather than worrying about how our families will get their medical care. Businesses will prosper from being allieviated of the burden of providing health care coverage to their employees. At the same time, individuals will be able to begin new businesses that they previously were deterred from because of a lack of health care coverage. Our nation only stands to benefit from establishment of a quality health care system and I will utilize my position in Congress to make this idea a reality.
 
Additional Comment:Support for a universal, single-payer system has been and will continue to be a centerpiece of my campaign, please see my policy statement attached. We have also talked about single-payer in our television ads and press releases and I will continue to bring it up in all the contexts mentioned above and more.
Return to Candidate List