COLUMBIA, S.C. - Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Jim DeMint said Monday he would work to give South Carolinians greater control of health care spending.
DeMint told the South Carolina Association of Health Underwriters the best way to reduce health care costs and improve access is to give individuals more freedom and options.
The U.S. representative from Greenville said he wants to expand the use of health savings accounts that allow people to save money for future medical expenses tax-free.
"This is a great plan for a young person. It gives them an incentive to buy insurance. Let people take this into retirement. If they know they can take it into retirement, they will buy it," said DeMint, who helped write the legislation establishing the accounts and signed by President Bush last year.
DeMint said this system would help tensions between doctors and patients, who often demand medication just because they pay for insurance.
DeMint said he also supports:
_ Eliminating frivolous medical lawsuits that increase costs and reduce access.
_ Establishing refundable health care tax credits to help low-income Americans afford insurance.
_ Modernizing Medicare so retirees could choose between competing private health plans.
Other Republicans seeking to replace retiring Democrat Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings are former state Attorney General Charlie Condon, former Gov. David Beasley, Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, Charleston real estate developer Thomas Ravenel and Bluffton businesswoman Orly Benny Davis.
Democrats in the race are state Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum and Marcus Belk of Camden.
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