While we don’t typically venture into politics, we just couldn’t help ourselves in light of the Presidential election next Tuesday. Here’s a quick summary on the candidates’ healthcare agendas. Obama’s agenda is evidenced in the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act, which includes the first version of a universal healthcare system. Currently in the middle stages of implementation, the Act includes reforms such as extending Medicaid eligibility, providing tax credits to encourage Americans to buy private insurance, requiring states to facilitate health insurance exchanges, and limiting caps on annual spending by insurers. On the other side of the aisle, Romney’s healthcare agenda is to repeal the Affordable Care Act and pursue policies that give states the ability to design their own health care reform plans. Naturally, this will limit the federal government’s power to place standards and requirements on both private insurance and Medicaid coverage.