McCain on the Issues - Health Insurance Reform

McCain Website ^

[Lorianne]

Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines.

YES! This is a big part of reigning in both health insurance costs and health care costs.

[roamer_1]

Health care in America "should be available to all, and not limited by where you work or how much you make," McCain said in a speech delivered in Tampa at the University of South Florida's H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

For the sickest Americans who would find it hard to buy affordable coverage in an open market, McCain wants the states to form risk pools, or what he calls Guaranteed Access Plans. He also said there would be "reasonable limits" on premiums, and federal assistance for those below a certain income level.

Business Week: "McCain's Health-Care Proposal" by Catherine Arnst

[roamer_1]

make it mandatory to have health insurance AND make it more affordable.

The two can never meet.

[paudio]

Yes, you are right. His plan tries to encourage people to buy the plan themselves. But I think in order to have people buying the healthcare plan, McCain has to offer somekind of incentives. Price is only one of them. He addresses the other issue already: portability. While the portability can be regulated, I don't see how he can address the price issue without getting some more resources to offer the incentives. So, at the end, it comes to who pay what and how much.

Is there any way to do so without raising tax, for instance? Would eliminating most of the pork be enough?

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Health care in America "should be available to all, and not limited by where you work or how much you make," McCain said

... a.k.a. socialized medicine.

Ye gods.

[Bob J]

I could care less whether you vote for him or not. I may not vote for him. But I think a sober analysis of his policies is a good start as opposed to the hysteria that has dominated the discussion to date.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"About par for the course for intellectualism FR these days."

The cost of health care for the tens of millions of immigrants that McCain would love to see as citizens is an important part of the discussion you seek. If you want to set all of the parameters for the discussion YOU want to have, perhaps you should simply have folks send you FReepmail so that you can do this in private.

Otherwise, insulting the very people you would like to engage isn't going to take this thread the way you want it to go.

[Bob J]

I think what he is addressing is how people in other countries pay less for the same drug than Americans because the pharms sell it to them cheaper while keeping their control and the price high in the US.

You do know that the American consumer underwrites cheap drugs for the rest of the world as it is?

[Bob J]

I’m not sure how thatworks but it sounds like state ins companies retain a monoply in each state and cheaper alternatives are not allowed to cross state lines.

If a company in Idaho can offer cheaper coverage to citizens of say CA, why shouldn;t they be allowed to do so?

[Bob J]

Well that’s a non starter.

[jwalsh07]

Bob, McCains nutty positions on some issues isn't what ticks people off. They would either vote for him or not based on those positions. What ticks them off is McCains in your face attitude to the conse4rvative base while he kisses the ass of the MSM and independents.

And he evidently has no plans on changing that.

[Bob J]

Probably. But at least were talking about it and the average FR participant might be better informed.

[roamer_1]

... a.k.a. socialized medicine.

That's how I read it... but then they say I'm parsing... LOL!

:D

Did you see the part about "reasonable limits" to premiums? It sounds like caps to me... Why, that's not going to be regulated by the government, is it?

[Bob J]

“The cost of health care for the tens of millions of immigrants that McCain would love to see as citizens is an important part of the discussion you seek.”

That would be a good question to ask McCain or his campaign. Why some think it is more productive to whine about it on FR (and then not do a damn thing) is beyond me.

I also don’t know why anyone would think I have the answer.

[Bob J]

“Bob, McCains nutty positions on some issues isn’t what ticks people off.”

Of course it does. It ticks me off.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

It sounds like caps to me... Why, that's not going to be regulated by the government, is it?

Team Juan's paid online shills are unswervingly loyal believers in the ultimate efficacy of the marvelous, magical Money Fairy. ;)

[roamer_1]

Well that’s a non starter.

What light through yonder window breaks? :D

[Bob J]

There is no way to put limits on premiums without concurrent cost reductions for the providers. Tort reform would be a good place to start there. Most doctors cannot afford the insurance they have to pay with all the ambulance chasers out there.

I don’t know how much malpractice insurance adds to health costs, but I assume it is significant.

[dforest]

That would be a good question to ask McCain or his campaign. Why some think it is more productive to whine about it on FR (and then not do a damn thing) is beyond me.

It is very hard hard to ask McCain things on the campaign trail. He isn't in to visiting many places and allowing questions he does not want to answer.

People have been ejected for asking him questions that are hard questions.

One thing I have noticed about McCain, with the easily pre set primary, he is the candidate that only exists in the TV soundbyte, he isn't present like the RATs are in the diners and on the back of pickemups.

Much to his detriment.

[roamer_1]

Probably. But at least were talking about it and the average FR participant might be better informed.

Did you know that one of the ways he intends to pay for it is by the reduction and eventual elimination of the insurance deduction for business?

Do you see that once that deduction is removed, insurance through business will be taxed as payroll? Either that means the business is going to pay confiscatory taxes at payroll rates, or the employee is going to be passed the cost?

The avg. business premium is 12k a year, all of which would be passed to the employee as payroll (taxed of course), whereupon the employee/citizen could apply their nifty $2500-$5000 deduction, leaving the citizen/bagholder on the hook for $10.5k-$7k of the premium in after tax dollars. How's that grab you?