Former House Speaker
Newt Gingrich’s Center for Health Transformation took in at least $37 million over the last eight years from such healthcare companies as Blue Cross Blue Shield and AstraZeneca. The think tank offered “access to Newt Gingrich” and “direct Newt interaction,”
The Washington Post reports.
Among the things advocated by the center was the idea that “anyone who earns more than $50,000 a year must purchase health insurance or post a bond.” The center also pushed for centralized electronic medical records and the use of the data to research the effectiveness of treatments, the Post reported.
The positions are similar to those in President Barack Obama’s healthcare law. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who has been criticized for the healthcare plan adopted under his watch, turned the tables on Gingrich at one debate, saying, “We got the idea of an individual mandate from you!”
According to the Post, an individual mandate was part of an “Insure All Americans” plan that has now disappeared from the Center for Health Transformation web site. When Gingrich began his run for the presidency earlier this year he gave up ownership of the center. However, he is still listed as founder.
Gingrich also took heat in recent days following revelations that he took some $1.8 million in consulting fees from Freddie Mac.
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