The lawmakers, meanwhile, suggested a fundamental flaw in Gore's strategy of stirring up voter anxiety over Bradley's proposal to eliminate Medicaid in favor of health insurance subsidies for the poor. Several legislators interviewed after Bradley's speech said they field a good number of constituent complaints that the system leaves them short of needed medical care. Bradley's retort to Gore, who addressed the caucus Wednesday, underscores the increasingly contentious nature of a contest in which health care and Social Security reforms have emerged as the main battleground. Gore campaigned yesterday in Iowa and told about 200 seniors in Fort Dodge that Bradley's health care plan would jeopardize nursing home care, denied that he was attacking his opponent. I've discussed the issues and I'll continue to do that whether it makes him happy or sad.
Elderly issues resonate in Iowa, where the average age is third-oldest in the nation.
Gore warned that nursing home residents, up to two-thirds of whom depend on Medicaid to pay much of their bills, would suffer under Bradley's plan. Gore said the vouchers would be too small to pay the cost of expensive nursing home care. He added that Bradley was among the leaders in Congress in passing reform measures that strengthened Medicare. Wednesday, Gore told the legislators that Bradley's plan to replace Medicaid with a private insurance system would prove too costly for the nation and would jeopardize health coverage for the poor minorities and disabled people who depend on Medicaid. Gore also said Bradley defended radical changes to Social Security such as cutting benefits and increasing taxes.