In 2006, Newt Gingrich’s Center for Health Transformation published a “Newt Note” on Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts health care plan. “The most exciting development of the past few weeks is what has been happening up in Massachusetts,” the note began. “The health bill that Governor Romney signed into law this month has tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system.”
The Romney plan attempts to bring everyone into the system. The individual mandate requires those who earn enough to afford insurance to purchase coverage, and subsidies will be made available to those individuals who cannot afford insurance on their own. We agree strongly with this principle, but the details are crucial when it comes to the structure of this plan.
The note, which would seem to be written (or at least approved) by Gingrich himself, also warned about some of the problems in the Massachusetts plan. “While in theory the plan should be affordable if the whole state contributes to the cost, the reality is that Massachusetts has an exhaustive list of health coverage regulations prohibiting insurers from offering more basic, pared-down policies with higher deductibles,” said the Newt Note.
How has Gingrich responded? The Wall Street Journal reports:
Mr. Hammond said the Newt Notes essay wasn’t written by Mr. Gingrich himself.
