Who is the Radical on Health Care? McCain or Obama?
A Republican plan radical? Can't be. But it is. Even McCain's own advisors call his plan radical. Barack Obama is launching a direct attack on the radical aspects of McCain's proposed health reform plan. The most radical part of McCain's plan, and the most counter-intuitive to many conservatives, is that McCain proposes to remove the tax exemption for employer-paid health benefits. That means that if you get your health insurance through your employer, you would now have to account for those benefits as taxable income.
McCain proposes to give you a tax credit to help out, but the tax credit he proposes covers less of the shortfall than that hospital gown they make you wear. Your backside will be exposed!
And even worse, your employer may decide to drop sponsorship of your insurance, forcing you to go out an buy health insurance as an individual. If you have ever had to do that, you know how hard that is. Any medical condition you might have had would now be "pre-existing" and insurance could be denied you or your rates could be increased substantially.
In contrast to this radical McCain plan, Obama's plan is pretty simple -- 1) If you have insurance through your employer, you can keep it. 2) If you want to buy health insurance on your own, he will reform the insurance rules so you can't be turned down for prior medical conditions 3) Obama will offer you the opportunity to a plan through a Health Insurance Exchange that will offer you benefits much like what Congress gets. And you can bet those benefits are good!
You will no doubt hear that Obama wants to socialize medicine. That he is proposing a big government takeover of health care. As Biden would say, "That's malarkey." The oldest attack in the world is to call something socialism. (The same guys who will be throwing that at you are the same ones who just voted to socialize Wall Street!) Obama does notpropose a big new government plan. His plan would rely on the same doctors and hospitals we have today but give you more choice. He would require that preventive care be covered, that children be covered, and that employers kick in to pay their part. These are not radical ideas. They represent main street values.
So don't be fooled by the attacks that will fly in the next few days. The Republican candidate John McCain is the one who proposes to turn the system upside down and increase your taxes. It's a goofy thought, but it's true. McCain's plan would not only overturn the employer-based health insurance that is so unique to America, his taxation proposals would likely cause 20 million people to lose that insurance and be forced to buy insurance on their own. Don't take it from me. Read the fine print for yourself.
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Radical? Simple? Neither plan is very simple to understand, but this blog does a great job of outlining both candidate's health plans: http://www.therelevantelephant.com/blog/entry/the_audacity_of_negative_campaign_ads_health_care
Not to rain on the "we love Obama" parade, but when he forces PRIVATE insurance companies to take on risks that are not in their best interest (and let's be clear - they are accountable to their shareholders, not to the American people as a whole), what's his plan when they go bankrupt because of all of the people they are having to cover that they never would have before? Is anyone discussing this aspect?
Don't mistake me as being in favor of McCain. But, there are real issues with this plan that fly in the face of the right of private businesses to make choices that are in their best interests. If insurance is forced to take on risks (i.e. - patients with pre-existing conditions that are quite costly) that would be considered unwise, they will go under, and once again, government will have to swoop in. Don't be fooled - we're walking the path to socialized medicine. It will be the only answer once any vestages of capitalism have been squelched. And then we're all screwed.
When I read "Obama's plan is pretty simple", I thought of Web 2.0 and Google...Sen. Obama really looks like the future.
Btw, I'm not an American :)
It is fascinating that some will prioritize an issue like abortion above all else, and that alone is sufficient for voting one way or another. Despite the fact it does not influence their lives in any real or direct way - in other words, life is not made worse because someone else has an abortion.
On the other hand, I can assure everyone that the health care issues discussed above are VERY important for all of us. They will directly affect our lives, both in terms of how much we suffer and how much it destroys our financial situations when we inevitably become ill and die. If abortion is made illegal yet we're dying a miserable death with awful health care, was it worth it?
The author didn't even mention McCain's proposal to allow insurers to provide plans across state lines, effectively eliminating state protections. The insurers will turn around and only offer plans from states with the most favorable terms for them - meaning restrictions in benefits for you.
Without belaboring the point, McCain's plan would be an unmitigated disaster. Obama's plan is extremely sensible and fair, and nowhere near a radical change or even that much of a leftist move. We have to have some government involvement because health care has a different mandate than just making profits and we've seen how scary it gets when relegated to the private insurers unchecked.
We have to step forward. It really matters.
Linda,
BOTH of the plans offered by the candidates are radical! The definition of radical is a complete change from the status quo. The difference is in the DIRECTION and AMOUNT of radical change!
In Obama's case he plans to go towards the extreme lefties who would like the govt to run everything, which we have seen fail in the USSR. He does not go that far, and his plan may very well have a reasonable chance of working.
In McCain's case he plans to go towards the extreme righties who would like the market to run everything, which we have seen fail in the USA in the last 20+ years. He does not go quite that far, though he gets close.... His plan would most likely fail us all!
That is NOT accurate. Here's is Obama's plan: If you have healthcare through your employer you keep it. How is that goverment run? Small businesses get Tax credits to provide Healthcare to their employees How is that goverment run? If you cant afford Healthcare you will be able to BUY IN to the same kind of Healthcare that Obama has that McCain has. I guess their health care is terrible so why would anyone want to buy into it.
Obama's healthcare plan is in the middle. Its a comprehensive plan that includes finding ways to be more efficient reducing cost by allowing providers to bargain for the cheapest drugs.
It always amaze me that peole think Obama is some radical lefty in his policies Obama is a Pragmatist he addresses a problem from ALL angles. He has a all hands on deck approach. Yes he believes goverment has a role in protecting their citizens being from physical harm that includes terrorism to lack of affordable healthcare. Goverment is not the root of all evil. As Obama said we dont need big goverment we need smart government efficient government. Because of the republicans mantra that big govermnment is bad until capitalism FAILS and then they look to government for a handout. But then they complain and byotch when Government want to help ordinary citizens who hare having a hard time. Its HYPOCRISY.
Carol
Carol, I said that Obama's plan LEANS towards the extreme left. The goal of those on the EXTREME left is to have everything run by govt. I then said that his plan does NOT go that far!
Both candidates will march to the tune played by HMO's and the Pharmaceutical industry. Both will behave in accordance with the standard line of BS that has been used since world war 2.
Neither will show one tenth of the effort that they both used this week to corral their Congress underlings into voting for a trillion dollars for Wall street.
Health care is a non issue for the two corporatist parties.
If you actually care about it, look to the Green party.
McCain's plan will definitely lead to more employers dropping their health care plans and many will see it as the perfect excuse to get out of the health care business altogether.
Employers spend a huge amount of time and resources managing the health care plans they offer their employees, and many only do it because they can write off the cost. If that exemption is taken away, as it would be under the McCain plan, they have the perfect out.
Yes, some employers will continue to offer plans because of the competitive advantage against employers who don't, or becasue it's good to have healthy and productive employees or becasue it's the "right thing" to do.
In this economic environment, a lower cost of doing business will get them a competitive advantage quicker than they'll see any harm for sicker, less productive employees. With so many people looking for work, those who get sick will be easily replaced. Lower costs may be just the thing that allows some companies to stay in buinsess during these tough times, and many will take advantage of it.
That means, more uninsured - McCain doesn't say much about how he'd reform the individual insurance market to make sure people can even get coverage -, a wider gap between the haves and the have nots and millions of Americans sent out to the health care wilderness to fend for themselves.
A terrible idea, a terrible plan, and a terrible thing if you vote for McCain.
"So don't be fooled by the attacks that will fly in the next few days." That will be a key sentence. While Democrats are talking about health care and other social problems, here is the McCain strategy from here on out: (From today's Washington Post)
"We are looking for a very aggressive last 30 days," said Greg Strimple, one of McCain's top advisers. "We are looking forward to turning a page on this financial crisis and getting back to discussing Mr. Obama's aggressively liberal record and how he will be too risky for Americans."
I'm sure that millions of Americans have serious health and financial problems are looking to turn the page on these, too.
Radical by killing half born and 100% born infants is pretty radical to me. You won't find McCain nor Palin for that;
Why Jesus would not vote for Barack Obama
In February 2004, U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, sent a fund-raising letter with the “alarming news” that “right-wing politicians” had passed a law stopping doctors from stabbing half-born babies in the neck with scissors, suctioning out their brains and crushing their skulls.
Michelle called partial-birth abortion “a legitimate medical procedure,” and wouldn’t supporters please pay $150 to attend a luncheon for her husband, who would fight against “cynical ploy[s]” to stop it? http://realchoice.blogspot.com/2008/09/obama-and-born-alive-babies.html
And yet...Jesus never mentions abortion. SO do you want to tell me how you KNOW how Jesus votes (not to mention, since Jesus wouldn't be an American citizen and would be "exotic" he wouldn't be allowed to vote).
Really? You know how Jesus would vote?? Considering that he said NOTHING about abortion? Considering that elsewhere in the bible there are indications that abortion by taking abortofacient drugs was okay?? Considering that NONE of us could EVER understand the mind of God??? And yet YOU, and apparently ONLY you, KNOW the mind of God!?!?!?!?!?
can we keep sweet baby Jesus out of politics?? but if we are going out on a limb and make guesses, i'd say he would vote democratic.
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