Clinton Unveils Healthcare Plan

ABC News’ Eloise Harper Reports: Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., unveiled her $110-billion dollar a year health care plan Monday.

Speaking at a medical center in Iowa, Clinton repeatedly mentioned her failed attempt at healthcare in ’93/’94 saying, "I have the scars to show from that exercise."

Clinton introduced her plan by saying "today’s plan is still simpler yet still bold."

"This is not government-run," Clinton stressed, "it is not a government take-over of healthcare."

Aides said no new federal bureaucracy would be created under the Clinton plan.  "I know my Republican opponents will try to equate health care for all Americans with government-run health care. Don’t let them fool us again," she said.

Clinton’s plan requires an individual mandate, which will require everyone to have health insurance — just as most states require drivers to have drivers insurance.

Clinton said Americans will "never be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions or risk factors." 

Clinton described the plan as "affordable" and said new tax credits will "guarantee you will never pay more than a certain percentage of your income for your premiums."  Also, she said "you will always have an option for coverage that is fully affordable."

The plan will be paid for in part by what Clinton called, "President Bush’s fiscally irresponsible tax breaks for the highest income Americans." She said she will also eliminate the "tax breaks for individuals making $250,000 a year."

Aides pointed out the differences between the ’93/’94 plan saying this plan was simpler and provided a tax incentive to small businesses to provide insurance to their employees.

Senator Obama, D-Ill., said Clinton’s plan was "similar to the one I put forth last spring, though my universal health care plan would go further in reducing the punishing cost of health care than any other proposal that’s been offered in this campaign."