The two parties have very different philosophies regarding health care and the roles of government and private markets therein. It is important to examine the ideological divide because it affects policy and in turn, the health of Texans. Vox reporter Sarah Kliff recently concluded that Republicans view health insurance as a way to protect Americans from major financial loss while Democrats want to use it to improve the health of Americans. The Washington Post recently reported that Republicans want to provide “universal access” to insurance, while Democrats want to provide “universal coverage”. Republicans favor health insurance that more closely resembles other types of insurance like home and auto insurance, covering catastrophic loss only. Traditionally Democratic mechanisms for improving health involve providing financial assistance to low-income, aging and disabled populations to access preventative care and disease management to prevent or delay costly major illness. Republicans find regulation in the health care market to be burdensome to insurers, providers, employers and individuals and to reduce economic opportunity. They trust the private market to function optimally without government interference. Democrats are more likely to believe that health care is a right and to favor regulation in the private market to provide access to comprehensive care.