Governor Sarah Palin and the Health Care Campaign 08

Even if you aren't following the presidential election, you probably heard about Republican nominee Senator John McCain's pick for vice president: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Governor Palin has been touted by Republicans as a fresh face for Washington, a reformer, and a true conservative - not to mention that she's the first female on the Republican presidential ticket and she would be the first female vice president in American history.

Governor Palin's health record is not much to talk about. But from research that has been done, she seems to share the same stance as her republican colleagues.

For one, Palin seems to strongly support increased competition to reduce health care costs. In Alaska, new medical facilities can only be opened if the state decides that the facility is actually needed. Any new facility needs to obtain a "certificate-of-need." This year, Governor Palin fought to get rid of this law so new facilities could freely open and increase competition in the market.

Governor Palin quotes "Under our present Certificate of Need process, costs and needs don't drive health care choices, bureaucracy does. Our system is broken and expensive." Palin favors market health care solutions, even thought her efforts failed.

Palin sides with the majority of Republicans on expanding SCHIP, as she opposed legislation in Alaska this year. Now that she has been introduced nationally, we will most likely hear about her views and agenda in the coming weeks.