Today, Obama unveiled his stance on healthcare. Politically, this is significant because (1) it’s really the first time he’s provided a detailed glimpse into his policy mentality on anything; (2) healthcare has been Clinton’s pet issue up to this point; (3) healthcare has been deemed by some as the “theme of the Democratic primary.” While still fuzzy on total numbers, his strategy would mandate employers to provide (or fund) health insurance, create a new system for uninsured coverage, and establish a new “National Health Insurance Exchange” aimed at regulating insurers. It’ll be funded by eliminating tax cuts (capital gains and inheritance) for the wealthy. Under this plan, big pharma, managed care, big business, and the wealthy are the losers. By 2012, Obama promises a truly universal healthcare solution.

What’s missing in all the candidates’ policies are exactly the issues that we’ve been discussing here at World Health Care Blog. It’s not sexy (unless you are at a healthcare policy analyst party) to talk about investing in preventive health or managing the chronic diseases that will ravage our country for the next 50 years. It’s not appropriate or relevant to talk about personal responsibility and good lifestyle decisions in healthcare on the campaign trail. Is there a candidate out there who is willing to take on healthcare politics AND health politics?

By the way, here’s an excellent rundown of every candidate’s voting record regarding healthcare. And here’s AAFP’s summary of every candidate’s stance on healthcare.