McCain Is Right On Health Care

[Terri]

By Star Parker
May 5, 2008

A gold star to John McCain for his just released plan for reforming American health care.

Analysts will pick apart details and surely will find shortcomings. But directionally, McCain's approach is on the money. Contrary to the vaporous rhetoric of change offered by the Democrats, he has proposed real structural health care reform.

The plan boldly takes on key problems in how we deliver health care that have contributed to out-of-control cost escalation. According to a recent University of Minnesota study, health insurance premiums have increased over recent years ten times faster than personal incomes, and by 30 percent from 2001 to 2005.

The key salvo is aimed at the central pillar of our health care system -- tax-subsidized employer provided health care. About 70 percent of Americans get their health care where they work.

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[SaraConr]

Bingo! Finally.

Difficult issues remain, such as how to deal with those currently uninsured and with pre-existing conditions.

I would recommend scrapping Medicaid and using the savings to set up a voucher system for the poor and those with preexisiting conditions. This would eliminate that bugbear and would also eliminate the rampant fraud in the Medicaid program (which is simply socialized medicine for the few - an oxymoron if there ever was one!). Many on Medicaid should not be on it and many who need it cannot get it.

McCain's system would end the inequities suffered by small businesses and "independent contractors," many of whom are not fatcats, but poor people working part time with no benefits.

Will McCain's system end the discrimination against those with preexisting conditions?

For those too poor to afford any kind of coverage and those currently left out because of preexisting conditions, vouchers would allow them to "shop" for coverage just like anyone else and would make the insurance company become the watchdog to disallow frivolous things such as sex change operations. (If you are wealthy and want one and feel it would enhance your quality of life, go for it, but don't expect the insurance pool to absorb the expense for you, driving up the cost of essential services.)

Another approach is to have some sort of safety net for those "turned down" because of being too "high risk." If we do not scrap Medicaid, there should be a national policy (as has been adopted by a few states from time to time) that if you are turned down by two insurance companies because of a preexisting condition, then you qualify for Medicaid. I still feel that keeping Medicaid is a waste. A new program such as McCain is proposing would eliminate the need for most of what Medicaid currently covers, especially if vouchers are used.

Another approach is reinsurance of the insurance companies for covering high risk patients. That principle is used in many areas of the insurance industry and it works very well. Again, this could be financed through savings in the current Medicaid program.

Is anyone listening?!!!!

[Terri]

Here's a link to the plan on McCain's website. There is something there about high risk patients, Sara.

One other problem I see that isn't the fault of McCain's plan is that far too many people don't pay any income taxes.

You can't give a tax credit to those who pay no taxes and that is far too large a percentage of Americans, IMO.

Already this morning, I've gotten email saying that it isn't enough help and the person writing wants it to be free.

[tomshup]

Great to see he can come up with a market approach to an issue of such importance.
One wonders why he can't use the same approach for oil exploration in ANWR, instead of demegoguery, likening ANWR to drilling in the Grand Canyon. Or, exploitation of our outer-continental shelf, FL, CA, come to mind. The Chinese are helping Cuba drill for oil, 50 miles off the coast of FL!
Then there is illegal immigration, another area he has given little serious thought to.
Sorry, I think he's going to get bashed in November, just like all the Rino's inside the Beltway. The Republican Party is alive and well, outside the Beltway, but even Newt Gingrich has been sniffing glue, as evidenced by his newfound best friends Pelosi and Gore!

[Melissa47]

That is the problem, that too many don't pay income taxes, and want their healthcare free too. We are getting so many not paying taxes that they are becoming a majority that can vote more for them and less for those of us that do pay!
McCain's plan is a good start, but there are so many out there that don't want real solutions, only freebees!

[ONTIME]

Kudos on this one John Boy, we all could use another tax break and it's been time for a long time to end the employer subsidized medical plans. There is no good reason why the government employees should not be held to a new standard, most are over paid and over perked and our electeds are just ridiculous in the way the lavish themselves with new ways to embellish their creature comfort and spit in our tax payer's eye. Think how competitive the med biz would again become, think of the savings for the consumers and the choices.

I would gladly write off all my med/dental expenses and should I continue to grow older, my expenses will continue to increase and not proportionally but maybe by huge amounts. The idea that my income could be saved would be comforting but my med insurance payments would stay intact to the end. The other part purely selfish, I do not want to pay for some dudes or gals sex change operation, they too can pay the price for that extravagance and have a write off too. Aaaah freedom.

And you John McCain, you keep right on trying to make those real Republican noises, it will get you votes, money and friends. Trust me on this.

[83ragtop50]

I agree with Ms. Parker that the proposal by Senator McCain has more merit than the socialized boondoogles offered by the Democrats. However, I believe she is incorrect in her statement that those that work for themselves (I assume she is referring to self-employed) cannot "write-off" medical insurance payments. If this is the case then the IRS will be all over me for falsifying my tax return. But this still leaves those that are not self-employed or not working for a company that pays for insurance without a tax break for insurance.

Ms. Parkers assertions about employee-paid health benefits bother me a bunch. Why should I not be able to negotiate for the best deal I can get when I seek employement? Nobody tells me where I have to work..... yet.

This whole article appears to be based upon the premise that everyone has the God-given right to some type of health insurance or government-supplied medial care. That type of thinking is what is moving America toward being the "nanny state" that Obama and Hilliary would love to see. I see nothing in the Constitution that says that anyone has the right to government provided or subsidized heallth care. So let's just do away with the tax breaks for everyone and ditch the blood-sucking Medicare and Medicaid socialized (for the few) medical programs. Once we get Washington out of everyone's life - patient and health care provider - then maybe sanity will return to the marketplace.

[Irember911]

The problem with this country is that people want something for nothing, Who pays the bill, the government? Guess what we are the Government, John McCain's bill is a bandaid, the insurance companies will just raise prices, there will be fraud just like now, and if King George can give a tax refund to people who don't pay income tax then we can surly give a tax break for insurance. We need to cut the insurance co. off at the pockets and clean out the fraud, and stop giving free medical care to immigrants leagle or illeagle. People need to be responsible for themselves and quit waiting for the Government to pay, this is a democratic country not a socialist socity. come on people what has happend to America. I for one want less Government in my life not more.

[phillyfanatic]

The problem with any Pub program, is that the RNC and other state Pub parties rarely advertize how our programs are different from the socialist pacifist programs of the DNC. John wants to debate in low , nice, loving terms with a Party which thinks Pubs are Fascists, murderers, elitists, homophobes, racists. It is time for the national Pubs to use programs like the Senator proposed on a 50 state advertizing campaign even if it is a one time ad since the MSM will not give Pubs the same coverage as any socialist Dem ads.

[antiliberalism]

I think people miss, at least in part, the fundamental problem with the health care system. Quite simply, this is the socialization of medicine in this nation.

I imagine that many reading this are quick to point out that they are against socialization of medicine (Hillarycare being one example), but I think that government socialization is only a part of the problem. Another large part of the problem is the private socialization of medicine that has taken place since WWII. That's right, medical insurance itself is a part of the problem. Unfortunatley, I see many of the "conservative" solutions involving proping up private insurance companies (and make no mistake, this is far preferrable to a government take-over), which in the end, will not fix the fundamental flaws that drive up costs so extravagantly each year.

It's not nearly as complicated as many try to make it. In the end, any economic issue comes down to supply and demand. In this case, the problems of high cost are directly related to the artificially increased demand that private insurance, as well as government programs, place on the system.

There are other issues that drive up costs, but none that have the fundamental impact as this one. The only real, long-term fix is to move back to a single-payer system. If you must have health insurance, have a policy that reflects what insurance was intended to be: protection from financial destruction in case of a major illness or accident.

I'm amazed that there are so many that feel everyone in this country - just on the merits of citizenship - is owed medical care. Until we can shed this mentality, we cannot hope to solve the real problems.

And before everyone jumps on me as a cruel human being who would let people die in the streets... I'd be more than happy to donate to a public or private charity fund that is responsible and helps those who need financial assistance in paying health-care related bills.