David Paterson on Health Care Democratic Governor (NY)

Cover an additional 400,000 New Yorkers

Last year, we expanded our program to cover every child in New York. This year we will partner with Washington to cover an additional 400,000 New Yorkers. We will pay for this by asking Washington to let us use the Medicaid savings we have already achieved.

However, one in three New Yorkers from the ages of 19 to 29 are still uninsured. This is unacceptable. That is why I will propose a bill allowing families to cover family members up to the age of 29 in their family coverage plans at their own cost.

We must systematically remove the barriers until we can enroll every New Yorker who is eligible for publicly-funded coverage.

Address epidemic of childhood obesity

Childhood obesity causes serious health problems including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Obesity not only blights our children's futures--it creates a significant economic burden on our health care spending. New York spends $6.1 billion each year to treat obesity-related health problems-- the second-highest level of spending in the nation.

Our five-point plan includes the Healthy Food/Healthy Communities Initiative, which offers a new revolving loan fund that will increase the number of healthy food markets in underserved communities. We must also ban trans fats in restaurants, require calorie posting in chain restaurants, ban junk food sales in schools, and place a surcharge on sugared beverages like soda.