From the Wednesday, August 15 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes...BOB BECKEL (Guest Co-host): Governor, I wanted — followed your work as governor of Massachusetts on health insurance in the state of Massachusetts where you worked with the Democrats and I thought did a phenomenal job getting a plan through that called for everyone to buy health insurance and for those who could not afford it, the state would pay for it.
That was one of the most forward thinking plans I've seen, and yet for some reason, you don't seem to talk about this in front of conservative Republican groups. Is there a reason why you don't take credit for it?
ROMNEY: You must not be going to my meetings, because every single speech I give that I can think of, every one of my — we call them "Ask Mitt Anything" town halls, I talk about my health care plan, which is a way to get people in this country insured without expanding government programs, without expanding Medicaid, but instead helping people get private market-based insurance.
So it's one of the things I'm most proud of. And I hope I get a chance to debate Hillary Clinton on the very topic because when I'm asked what the biggest difference is between my plan and her plan, I'll say that mine got passed.
BECKEL: Well governor, as I matter I do follow you closely, as a matter of fact. I always like to know what the other side is going to be up to, particularly someone who might be the nominee.
HANNITY: That's what he means by the other side now.
BECKEL: You know exactly what I mean by that, Sean. But the one thing you do leave out of your insurance proposals though is the part that I thought was courageous, which was that if you couldn't afford it, the state would pay for it. But you don't make that part of your plan now.
ROMNEY: Well actually, the plan I put forward said no one got free insurance. Everybody could play what they could afford. And so we had a sliding scale and still do, based on your income. And the state will help pay the portion of your premium you can't afford for the poor.
The good news is it costs us less to help people buy their own private insurance than it was costing us giving out free care at hospitals. So I do talk about that. And I'll be giving a speech to the Florida Medical Association describing to them our plan in some detail.
But I insisted that everyone pays something. I didn't want to have anything free. Our legislature overrode that idea and so the people at the very low got it free. I think that's a mistake. I think everyone should pay something.
Click here for a complete transcript of the interview...
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