Does McCain’s Healthcare Plan Measure-up?
How Does McCain’s Healthcare Plan Measure-up? – by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog)
It’s no secret that we are facing a healthcare crisis in this country. I’ve heard quite a bit about the healthcare plans of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but I just realized that I’ve neglected to look at John McCain’s healthcare plan. So, I thought I could use this post to take a closer look at McCain’s plan, and what others are saying about it. I would love to know what you think about too…let me know in comments.
In the above clip, Shawn Tully of Fortune Magazine, begins his interview with CNN by saying that Healthcare (specifically Medicare) is going to bankrupt our country, and that is why the McCain plan is more “fiscally” responsible. Is he kidding? He loses me right there, because as far as I am concerned, the Iraq war is what is going to bankrupt this country (if it hasn’t already). If you don’t believe me, check out this post on military spending…
But to get back to John McCain’s Healthcare plan – here is some of what other bloggers are saying about the McCain Healthcare Plan.This is from An Insider’s View on Health Care…
McCain’s Healthcare Plan is the Worst – Consumer Driven Healthcare Not the Answer
FORTUNE magazine published an opinion piece in their March 17, 2008, issue titled Why McCain has the best health-care plan. McCain like many of his fellow Republicans believes that giving individuals more responsibility is a way to solve the healthcare crisis.
From The Carpetbagger Report – John McCain and the ‘disaster’ of his healthcare plan…
From time to time, McCain has made encouraging noises on the issue. He’s supported re-importation of medicine from Canada; he’s teamed up with Ted Kennedy on a “patients’ bill of rights”; and he’ll occasionally criticize HMOs and big pharm.
But TNR’s Jonathan Cohn reports today on the healthcare plan McCain unveiled in October, and labels the policy a “disaster.”
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The main point of McCain’s proposal is to change tax policy to make it easier for people to have more insurance options outside their employer.
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No matter which Dem gets the nomination, this is a fight to look forward to. If McCain support for an unpopular war doesn’t undermine his campaign, his useless healthcare policy will.
There were also some interesting comments on this Carpetbagger post. Here is part of one…
There are arguments out there that every US citizen should get access to the same type of healthcare system that federal employees, including all elected federal representative, receive. Until that day occurs, how about making federal elected officials having to live with the same system the rest of have to deal with. Let John McCain see what it’s like to get insurance after three bouts of melanoma along with a spouse who had a stroke and a past issue with drug dependence or to watch his family’s coverage get dropped because the insurance companies feel like it. Maybe then Congress would take some action if they weren’t so insulated from the problem.
Personally, I’m not sold on this plan one bit. As a person with chronic illness and pre-existing conditions, it’s actually a little scary. But that’s just me, what do you think?
Also See:
Lack of Health Insurance is Killing Americans
Grizzly Mama: McCain and Healthcare
Comment from Brian
Time: March 22, 2008, 6:41 pm
Every American has access to healthcare. I don’t understand why this continues to be confused. Insurance is simply a means to finance healthcare costs, nothing more. As individuals we are still responsible for our healthcare costs. Socialism is not the answer.