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View Full Version : Comparing the candidates: Healthcare (cross-posting)


rockmom
09-01-2008, 07:16 PM
McCain's Plan (http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ba2f1c-c03f-4ac2-8cd5-5cf2edb527cf.htm)

A brief summary of McCain's plan:

# Market-based approach that will provide more tax incentives to individuals to purchase private-market health coverage
# Offers tax incentives of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 to families
# Tax incentives are funded by repealing tax deductions for health insurance costs presently provided to employers
# Employer-sponsored health plans otherwise continues as is
# Under McCain’s market-based system, theoretically the healthy should see their premiums reduced (although the sick will pay higher premiums)
# Federal subsidies to state health programs to provide insurance to high-risk pools

Obama's Overview (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/)

Obama's Plan (http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf) (10 pages of details with an additional 2 pages of citations)

A brief summary of Obama's plan:

# Guaranteed coverage for any American or permanent resident who wishes it by providing access to a national health plan that is similar to the plan available to federal employees
# No mandate for individuals to purchase health insurance, which is a fundamental difference with the Hillary Clinton health care plan
# Subsidies for individuals who are above eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP but still in need of assistance
# Creates a National Health Insurance Exchange for private market insurance that will be governed by a regulatory body. Only plans that are approved based on pre-defined standards will be accepted into the exchange

Side by side comparison of the two plans. (http://decision.healthcare.com/obama-mccain/)

JudyJudyJudy
09-02-2008, 02:51 PM
These differences in terms of healthcare are one of the main reasons I support Obama. I still don't have the warm and fuzzy feeling that many have about Obama, but when it boils down to it, I agree with him on most things, including those things that I feel are most important.

xobehs
09-02-2008, 02:54 PM
IMHO Private Health plans SUCK. There are so many exclusions, the one I find most offensive is the lack of maternity coverage. I have looked over many affordable plans, the plans max out at crazy low amounts annually, some as low as 10k a year.

I don't have the answers, Obama's plan is sweeping- but it doesn't feel like a reality in the near future.