By now, I am sure everyone has heard who John McCain chose as his vice presidential candidate- Sarah Palin. Republicans like to think that she is a fresh face for Capitol Hill. Also hailing her as a true conservative and a reformer, as well as the first female on the Republican side, making her first female vice president ever.



So where does Governor Palin stand when it comes to health care and health insurance reform? Unfortunately, she doesn't have much of a health care record. But from what we've researched, Governor Palin does have a traditional stance toward health care reform as many of her Republican colleagues.

One item that Palin is strongly in favor of is the increased competition to lower health costs. As it stands now, in Alaska, the law says a medical facility would need a "certificate of need" in order to open. She would like to destroy taht law and allow free openings of medical facilities, which would in turn, raise competition and lower costs of health care.

"Under our present Certificate of Need process, costs and needs don't drive health care choices, bureaucracy does. Our system is broken and expensive." this is what Palin said, after her efforts had failed. Even thought they failed, she stills favors market health care coverage.

Governor Palin also sides with the majority of Republicans on expanding the State's Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Legislation was introduced in Alaska this year to expand SCHIP, but Palin opposed it. Now that Governor Palin has been introduced on the national stage, we'd expect to hear about her proposals and thoughts on health care reform sooner than later.