KERRY’S HEALTH PLAN NEEDS A CURE (Sen. Kerry’s health plan would cost about $1.5 trillion...)

www.ncpa.org ^ | Thursday, September 16, 2004

[InvisibleChurch]

KERRY’S HEALTH PLAN NEEDS A CURE

Sen. Kerry’s health plan would cost about $1.5 trillion over 10 years, according to the American Enterprise Institute, compared to only $128.6 billion for President Bush’s health plan. The AEI assumes the Kerry Plan would insure some 27.3 million people, with $620 billion spent directly on coverage for the uninsured, while the Bush plan would insure about 6.7 million at a direct cost of $39.4 billion for the uninsured.

Under Kerry, employers would receive subsidies for catastrophic medical costs incurred by a patient, while Bush’s plan would provide a tax credit for small employers who contribute to an employee’s health savings account (HSA). Under Kerry, small businesses, the unemployed and older individuals would be eligible for tax credits; Bush’s plan would allow tax credits for low-income individuals purchasing non-group insurance or above-the-line deductions for individuals purchasing major medical policies in conjunction with HSAs. In analyzing Kerry’s plan from the years 2006 to 2015, AEI researchers discovered:

The costs for extending eligibility for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility, as well as providing subsidies to small business and individuals would total an estimated $1.6 trillion; Proposed savings through promoting disease management and health information technology would be miniscule, totaling less than $100 million. The savings from reducing Medicare Advantage payments and disproportionate share payments would total about $102 billion. In essence, Kerry’s health plan overestimates expected savings and underestimates expected costs. Moreover, the estimates from his own health plan adviser, Kenneth Thorpe, cover only nine budget years, but the next president’s control over the budget will actually cover ten years.

[InvisibleChurch]

[xrp]

Cure the disease by killing the patient (patient = his Health Care plan).

[notkerry]

I am so sick of the Dem spew about 45 million uninsured. Can anyone tell me how many of the 45 million are under 35 years old and chose to drive a new SUV ($450/mo) instead of paying for health insurance. Why should I and my 3 dependants pay for these morons insurance.

Also, NO ONE IN THIS COUNTRY GOES WITHOUT HEALTH CARE IF NEEDED. IT IS CALLRD THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF ANY PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THEY CANNOT TURN THEM AWAY. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD MEANS TESTING SYSTEM TO ME.

[Lizavetta]

Name me the last government program that DIDN"T cost at least three times what the initial estimates were.

Name me the last government program that actually cured, solved, or reduced the social ill it was supposed to cure, solve or reduce.

Name me the last government program that the taxpayers were actually satisfied with and would choose over the private counterpart if they had the choice.

[MarkM]

Bill Clinton got a quick bypass operation unlike patients in the Canadian Health care system. Its typical under that system to wait weeks before you can have a bypass operation. It saves money though, because by then many of the heart patients are dead.

[MarkM]

You're absolutely right. The poor are eligible for Medicaid and they can sigh up right at the emergency room so many never bother to sign up till they need it.

[Gator113]

The primary difference between the two plans:

kerry will talk about it.

Bush will get it done.

[SouthernFreebird]

But his wife said only idiots wouldn't support his health care plan.....