2012 Presidential Candidates: How They Compare on Healthcare

No matter who wins the White House on Election Day, the way you practice medicine today is destined for change.

In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Republican nominee for president, Mitt Romney, has said he'll work to repeal the law if elected. President Obama would, of course, press forward with the ACA. But observers argue that the outcome of the election may matter only to the scope and pace of change in healthcare, not to the fact of change itself or its general direction.

Robert B. Doherty, senior vice president for governmental affairs and public policy for the American College of Physicians, says, "the pressures on small practices, the rising cost, the pressure on payers to deliver care more efficiently, the pressures of EHRs - those all will still be there with or without the law."

"Healthcare in this country is in crisis mode and regardless of what happens in November, our system in this country still needs overhaul, well beyond what the Affordable Care Act does," says Gregory Moore, who chairs the international health group for the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Clark Hill.

Here's a breakdown of where each candidate stands on various issues facing today's physicians:

 

• Repeal ACA

• Restore state-based healthcare leadership vs. federal oversight

Sources: Mitt Romney for President; Obama for America; American College of Physicians Candidate Position papers

This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of Physicians Practice.