You Won't Believe this One: McCain on Making Healthcare More Like Banking

Over at Paul Krugman's blog, a correspondent uncovered, well, something that speaks for itself.

Some time ago, both campaigns were approached by the professional magazine for actuaries, Contingencies, which invited the candidates to present the virtues of their health reform plans. (For the uninitiated, actuaries are professionals charged to estimate long-term costs and risks in insurance and related matters. That somehow makes things funnier.)

Here is the money quote from Senator McCain:

Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation. Consumer-friendly insurance policies will be more available and affordable when there is greater competition among insurers on a level playing field. You should be able to buy your insurance from any willing provider -- the state bureaucracies are no better than national ones. Nationwide insurance markets that ensure broad and vigorous competition will wring out excess costs, overhead, and bloated executive compensation.

Own goal!

Given the events of the past two weeks, Senator McCain may have discovered the shortest path to national health insurance. Lucky for him, these actuaries are probably a bit too busy evaluating what we hope are the "worst excesses" of extreme deregulation to notice his health plan these days.

Jonathan Stein calls this the most tone-deaf comment of all time. I say, Stein exaggerates. I once told my high school girlfriend that, yeah, she wore too much makeup. But man -- McCain comes in a close second. And this may be the most self-refuting paragraph of all time. I almost feel bad for him.

 

 

Comments

[wolfgangmo]

The impact of that will move many middle class families with insurance coverage into higher tax brackets, so not only will they be paying more taxes, but also at a higher rate.

Of course we need the money to bail out banks and give failure CEO's golden parachutes.

[Whinger]

I can see how that would work, boom and bust.

[jodigirl1000]

Bottom line the US government has failed in its experiment with universal health care. US universal health care = Medicare.

Medicare is poorly run by any objective standard. Administrative costs are low. And that fact leads to Medicare fraud being high. And Medicare (universal health care) does not guarantee actual access to health care. Medicare (universal health care) certainly does not guarantee descent health care.

www.advocateyourself.blogspot.com

[JuergenHartl]

US universal health care = Medicare ? - NO.
US universal health care = ER.

Universal health care means every US citizen is entitled to health insurance, AND the insurance is available and accessible for all citizens. Privately run health care, quite obviously is NOT working. So instead of socializing the debt of big time Wall St. firms, lets socialize health care, for the better of the masses!

[schatsie]

I am willing to be that Medicare is uncovering more fraud than all the PRIVATE Insurers put together.....Show me the numbers.... this is just another Republican lie to promote privatization and take health care away from the working class....Once Social Security is privatized, then Medicare will be hit for more privatization, they have already tried to implement the HMO fiasco which has resulted in denials resulting in DEATH and overwhelming profits and excessive CEO salaries and bonuses...

Please take a few minutes to WATCH SICKO and read the Health Care sections of FREE LUNCH... We have earned a better healthcare system that we have now.

[sdaflm]

McCain still doesn't get it that this free market concept only works for the good of the greedy and the rich. They turn a blind eye while bankrupting the middle class.

[schatsie]

McCain gets it, that is why he has 10 million dollars in houses, hundreds of thousands of dollars for vehicles, and 40 million in the bank and tax payer funded expense accounts and his wife has annually over 1 million in business expenses which are all tax deductible­..........

[SaltySaltillo]

This is a smoking gun. How much more proof could you ask for that McCain is a fraud who has been for deregulation for decades - that is what "footsoldier in the Reagan Revolution" means! We should deregulate healthcare the way we have done so for Banking!!! Get this out. Blog about it. E-mail people about it. Enough cannot be said about this man and his words.

[justobserve]

What Obama is waiting for? Obama has a treasure trove of McCain's own nuggets to dig for Obama's ads. Nothing can be said better than McCain's own words against himself!!
"McCAIN2008-PALIN: LIE WITHOUT BLINKING. Vote DEMOCRAT for AMERICAN JOBS, HEALTH CARE & EDUCATION REFORM, RENEWABLE ENERGY, EQUAL PAY, VETS BENEFITS”.

[jayelo]

The Democratic Party Leadership should feel ashamed of themselves.

$300 million dollars has been spent introducing Barack Obama to the public over the course of 19 months, and still we aren’t sure of anything about him except that he supposedly represents “hope and change”.

$300 million spent on one person’s quest for the Presidency backed by a Party that purports to represent the less fortunate. And in these devastating economic times when the country is at its most precarious, no less.

[jlgrounds]

I don't think you fully understand how Obama is fundraising if you believe what you are saying....

McCain is using public monies and this is what costs taxpayers - so put your outrage (if you really have any) in the right place.

Obama has gotten his funding from MILLIONS of Americans who want to see him elected. What shame is that? Are you serious - this is still somewhat of a Democracy isn't it? I have given money to his campain several times, have volunteered (for the first time in over 20 years), along with plenty of others.

The Democratic party represents America and unlike the current administration and president, has plans for the less fortunate. Unlike Bush who says "my base, the haves and have mores" and can't bring himself before the America he supposedly leads in any time of crisis.

You should look in to your man McCain - the ultimate panderer, liar, and follower of the same self serving administration we have now.

[nobozos]

Oh grow up.

[Paradym]

You're not knowing much about Obama is not the fault of his campaign or the Democratic Party. From his detailed positions on every subject on his web site, his two books and the political ads there is ample opportunity to learn of Obama and his positions.

To be willfully ignorant and blame others for your ignorance is unbecoming and only hurts any argument or claim you may have.

[justobserve]

Unfortunately jayelo, there are some who REFUSE to know anything around them due to their prejudice or narrow mind or incuriosity. You may have met these people: they took 6 years to get a bachelor in journalism. If you really are unsure about Obama, go to his website and see if you can absorbe all of what are there.
McCAIN 2008 -PALIN: LIE WITHOUT BLINKING! Vote DEMOCRAT for AMERICAN JOBS, HEALTH CARE & EDUCATION REFORM, RENEWABLE ENERGY, EQUAL PAY, VETS BENEFITS.

[schatsie]

in ,some ways I agree with you, but when I go to his website now, there are really intelligent writeups on the healthcare issues.... I believe we have had this response because of the MSM, you know the ones who are still giving deceptive and free ads to McCain and Palin...If you turn on the TV tomorrow you will probably hear the PALIN line about refusing the bridge to nowhere,,,If that is not deceptive and free advertising,, then I don't know what is....I remember 2 months ago, Mccain put out a slime ad, it was pulled, but then the MSM played it over and over and over again as newsworthy...and really it was a Lakoff moment for me..

Thank you so much for commenting, I think this is the only place where any meaningful dialogue is going on... The debates have to be 30 second cutting responses to the Repugs to offset the Bridge stuff and the Rick Warren and fundamentalism stuff.....

[bcfan]

jodigirl,
Excuse my ignorance. You state universal health care doesn't work in the US. You don't have universal health care. The motive of private insurance is that the insurer makes a profit. Mazimizing profits does not mean that people get the best care. Under any circumstance, the system as a whole will have to generate a profit for the insurance company. There is no rational that excludes the government from getting the lowest cost if it is the only client. Your point about Doctor's pay is valid but only to the extent that other countries will "outbid" your government for their services. (Remember, every democratic country in the free world has universal health care run by government). The other issue that I require some background on is the idea that government is basically incompetent and unable to deliver the service. Where does this attitude originate? I think your government does a great job of delivering services. In fact there is not a private corporation in the US that manages as many employees as the US government. You may think that gov't is inherently incompetent but as recent events have demonstrated the private sector is entirely capable of failure, corruption and incompetence. Oh, and the 12000 cost of insurance - I make 90,000 a year and my health insurance and federal and provincial tax bill isn't much more than that 12000 dollars.

[jodigirl1000]

IL resident. Obama put together ICHIP for adults who cant obtain health ins (ie no group coverage & preexisting) ICHIP is administered through BCBS, premiums @ $12000/yr

Problem with health care system is costs are too high. Universal health care wont help. Ins companies contract with medical care providers for each service. Foot x-ray has different charges - depending on whether the pt is Medicare, Medicaid, commercial ins or personal pay

If honesty/tr­ansparency in health care costs then ins companies cant fix prices. Bankruptcy is crazy when providers are charging different prices for same service. When provider sues for payment, there is supposed to be proof that charge is reasonable­/customary­! If 1 foot x-ray has 10 prices then cost isnt reasonable­/customary

Universal health care - bad idea. Docs get paid less. Best docs will pick research & not clinical work

US govt proven it should have 0 to do with health care. US's universal health care (Medicare) failed. Mismanaged throughout all administrations & congresses. Administrative costs are low in Medicare. Allows fraud. Medicare contracts with places for DME ( Apria) & Apria consistently defrauds system. Fined - but contract renewed

US has superior medical care -- docs get paid big bucks & they get to perform amazing research at phenomenal university hospitals

AMA intimidates treating docs into not testifying against bad docs. Deemed "practicing medicine"

Issue of rising health care costs cant be easily fixed by any president. Requires busting of lobbying organizations, discipline bad docs & honest pricing

www.advocateyourself.blogspot.com

[justobserve]

So why is it that Americans are the only ones who missed out on universal health care compared with all other first-world countries? Why don't we learn from other countries who is having it so that we can be proud that we are in the first-world country group that its citizens have the very basic care such a health? Why not try what other countries had been doing successfully? Our present system has produced 47 uninsured millions and it is growing. It's clear the system is not working.
McCAIN 2008 -PALIN: LIE WITHOUT BLINKING! Vote DEMOCRAT for AMERICAN JOBS, HEALTH CARE & EDUCATION REFORM, RENEWABLE ENERGY, EQUAL PAY, VETS BENEFITS.

[schatsie]

I am a bit confused by your comment but maybe I am misreading it...

The problem to me is that there is so much overhead with regard to healthcare..A service as simple as Home Health Agencies, small or large is that the overhead is 50% of the charges....

That includes rent, advertising, bookkeeping supervision, working with the various insurance companies etc....

I would love to do a study of the HH services in other developed countries, but I don't believe there would be any valid comparisons, because I know in Germany the doctors and not the nurses are doing the HH visits... so the care provided would be somewhat disimilar.... So another possibility would be to compare the dialisys care and I think that has been compared and they are actually providing better care for a similar price.... and remember that dialysis is primarily covered by Medicare in this country, so that comparison is not quite valid either...

So let us look at Maternal care, and every one knows we are lamentable at that compared to other countries...and I have no idea about the price comparisons, but you know it is higher here...

I love to see the studies and will be happy to comment from a complex view of the system...

[wolfgangmo]

This is like doing closed captioning for the thinking impaired, but...

Do you know why there are different charges for the same service depending on the insurer?

I thought not. There is actually one charge, but the bills are varied because the medical claims will be rejected if they do not comply with various insurance companies protocols and procedures. Which can result in the necessary income to do things like pay staff and rent for months or years. Clinic CFO set a price to cover costs and allow some profit and then billing departments modify it down for various insurance companies and pray that the rules haven't been changed since yesterday.

I run a clinic. Where is your information from? I ask because it seems like you don't know what you are talking about.

[JungleRoses]

McCain is asleep at the wheel. Bye, Bye..... Obama for America

[ChicoBrisbane]

My question is why "The Keating 5" hasn't come back to haunt him in this election especially since he is trying to paint himself as a reformer who favors government oversight in liue of diregulation. See video of the KEATHING % at -

http://chicobrisbane.blogspot.com/

[bcfan]

As a Canadian, I want to echo what others have said about our health care system. It is not perfect but its less costly than your private system. It is not only less costly to the individual but for the country as a whole. US automakers have often stated that it is cost effective to build cars in Canada because their bill for health care is so much less. The private system in the US is putting Americans at a competitive disadvantage to other industrialized countries. Doctors in Canada do not make as much money as their American counterparts. Why? Because they have to negotiate their fees with one client - the government. It costs less in Canada because there is no profit to the insurer. The cost of the entire system is shared amongst all taxpayers and is progressive. Wealthy Canadians bear more of the costs than poorer Canadians. Malpractise claims are almost non existant - another cost savings. We choose our own Doctor but since all Doctors charge the same for the service choice becomes a matter of personal preference and the patients assumptions about quality of care. How much you can afford does not determine the quality of care. And this I believe is the real crux of why Americans don't have Universal Health Care. Do the rich deserve to have better health care than the poor?

[justobserve]

Thank you for your sharing of the real experience. Americans have been misled by the lies,
"socialized medicine", that they cling to the devil they knew. I am from a universal health care country as well and it's very efficient and it lowers costs for everyone. If the rich people want private health care they have option and can pay more for it. The most obvious benefits of a universal heath care system are no profits for private companies and no overblown administrative costs for administering various different schemes. Now, Americans paid 40% of their health costs for this administrative cost salone. What an enormous waste that reduced what left for real health care! Americans should try what other first-wolrd countries already done succesfully.
McCAIN 2008 -PALIN: LIE WITHOUT BLINKING! Vote DEMOCRAT for AMERICAN JOBS, HEALTH CARE & EDUCATION REFORM, RENEWABLE ENERGY, EQUAL PAY, VETS BENEFITS.

[bluerednot]

Oh, I'm sure this seemed like a really clever thing to say at the time - but my oh my it should really bite McCain in the posterior.
Couple this with his video recording of support for privatizing Social Security - wow !

Obama must keep the pressure on! Do Not let up!

[Skua]

That really will go down in history as "the sentence you most wish you hadn't gone into print with." I think the Obama campaign wouldn't hardly need any other campaign ad the rest of the way other than some guy in a suit saying, "John McCain has a plan for health insurance. By aggressive deregulation, freeing it up to take chances and let the market have its way, he'll do the same great things for the healthcare sector as he has done for banking. What? What do you mean you don't want to make this commercial? Yes, that's his position, it's here in this article." How about a hundred of us have a contest to do the best viral YouTube spot with this?

[Lisette]

Oh, I believe it!
I also believe McCain is finished.
It is over for him.

[beellis16]

If you are also frustrated with the Republican attacks and want to do something to support Obama, help me reach my fundraising goal for Obama. I know it sucks having to give, but for those of us who care about progressive politics now is not the time to hold out. Help keep Obama's momentum going. Everything helps, 5 dollars, 10 dollars, anything.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/BlakeEllis

[joshuahmcdonald]

In addition to the shared urgency of purpose in electing Barack Obama as President we must elect a 60-40 Democratic Senate majority.

As our financial institutions crumble around us, the Bush Administration, managed by the most extreme adherents of Market Fundamentalism since Hoover, has proposed a bailout amounting to nearly $1 Trillion in institutionalized Socialism. Having destroyed the foundation of our economy this Administration is now intent on billing the American taxpayer.

The irony is that over the last 2 Senate sessions the minority Republicans have set records in the number of partisan filibusters blocking much needed legislatio­n...includ­ing financial regulation which may have mitigated our current economic crisis. Over 130 filibusters in 2 years!

A 60-40 majority in the Senate allows the Democrats to legally quash obstructionist filibusters and get our representatives back to work solving the extremely serious problems currently facing our nation.

I urge you to add your voice and your financial contributions to the following Senate campaigns where strong Democrats are facing vulnerable Republicans:
- Alaska: Mark Begich (http://www.begich.com)
- Colorado: Mark Udall (http://www.markudall.com)
- Idaho: Larry LaRocco (http://www.laroccoforsenate.com)
- Louisiana: Mary Landrieu (http://www.marylandrieu.com)
- Minnesota: Al Franken (http://www.alfranken.com)
- Mississippi: Ronnie Musgrove (http://musgroveforsenate.net)
- Nebraska: Scott Kleeb (http://www.scottkleeb.com)
- New Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen (http://www.jeanneshaheen.org)
- New Mexico: Tom Udall (http://www.tomudall.com)
- North Carolina: Kay Hagan (http://www.kayhagan.com)
- Oregon: Jeff Merkley (http://www.jeffmerkley.com)

[schatsie]

great comment, thank you for all the detail... Frankly, I am a bit overwhelmed now with my son going back to Iraq in July and leaving his wife working with 3 preschoolers,,, what a great country we live in...