MANCHESTER, N.H. — Jeb Bush called for repealing President Obama’s healthcare law and laid out a three-point plan for replacing it Tuesday in New Hampshire, the latest in a string of policy proposals from the Republican presidential candidate.
Bush’s plan focused on promoting innovation, lowering costs and deferring power to states, according to documents detailing the proposal.
During a campaign call with donors and supporters, campaign officials said the plan reflects input from people throughout the healthcare industry and lays out a system they said is more suitable for the 21st century.
In deference to the current law, campaign officials acknowledged moving the country to Bush’s plan will need to include a thoughtful transition for Americans now covered under the Affordable Care Act. They also pointed out that coverage for people with pre-existing conditions is included in Bush’s plan.
Also on the call, officials specifically criticized Hillary Clinton’s proposal for price controls on certain drugs, saying that philosophy is rooted in the same flawed policies as Obamacare. By comparison those officials said Bush’s plan focuses more on eliminating barriers in bringing drugs to market.
The speech Tuesday at Saint Anselm College kicked off a three-day campaign swing through the Granite State where the governor stands in third place at 11 percent, trailing rivals Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll out this month.
This latest proposal follows prescriptions in recent weeks for tax and regulation reform, energy policies and veteran policies – all areas the governor says will contribute to his goal of 4-percent economic growth.
The campaign says of the health plan that focus on innovation will include modernization of the Food and Drug Administration and investments in research and development to bring drugs to market more efficiently and find cures for disease.
Lowering healthcare costs in the plan will include a new tax credit for individuals and focus on making plans more portable. Bush will also call for reforming healthcare based taxes for employers.
The plan also includes giving more control to states, which has been a central theme in many of the governor’s policy proposals throughout the campaign.
In previewing the rollout last week in Iowa, Bush told a concerned voter that it is possible for the current healthcare law to be repealed, despite dozens of attempts in congress and multiple Supreme Court cases addressing the law’s constitutionality.
