Planning The Unpredictable

My family and some friends read this blog so I urge those thinking about voting for McCain to think again. The Wall Street Journal had an article on Monday about McCain’s ideas on how to change the health insurance market. Here are the points made in the article:

McCain’s “Plan”

McCain’s health plan would cover 5 million Americans.
McCain’s health plan would cost 1.3 trillion dollars.

McCain wants less regulation, here is a direct quote from a paper her wrote:

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.

McCain would start taxing your employer sponsored health insurance plan. Let’s say your company spends 10,000 a year on your health insurance. McCain would charge the employee income tax on that 10,000. The cause and effect of this is unknown but the belief is young, healthy employees would pass on the employer sponsored plan and go for a cheaper private plan. This would leave employers with older and high risk (me) employees on their plan. This might cause employers to end their health insurance plans due to high costs.

McCain’s solution for the above situation is to over a high risk plan for the broken (actually they already have this) but it is very pricey and the benefits are horrible. There is a good change my medication would NOT be covered under such plan.

McCain would over a tax credit to individuals of 2,500 and 5,000 for families in order to purchase private insurance. I have been self insured before and it was 400 a month with no drug coverage. I would NOT be able to afford the 2,000 a month for Copaxone. The chances of a private insurance company actually insuring me is pretty small anyway. Pre-existing conditions would prevent me from qualifying. I probably have 2-3 different conditions… obesity, MS and thyroid issues.

Obama’s Plan

Obama’s health plan would cover 34 million Americans.
Obama’s health plan would cost 1.6 trillion dollars.

Obama’s plan would be regulated by the government.

He would create a new government-run plan as well as an “exchange” in which private companies would offer insurance to compete with the government plan. New rules would require that insurance companies provide coverage to everyone, at consistent prices, even those with existing ailments. Parents would be required to cover their children, and large employers would be required to cover their workers or pay a fine.

Obama’s plan would regulate the benefits so that minimum standard would be set up. Additional benefits would be offered at a higher premium.

Obama’s plan would most likely, require companies to offer these benefits to their employees.

Summary

Are either plan perfect? No, of course not. Is Obama’s plan a step in the right direction? YES! McCain’s is going in the WRONG direction! The tax to the health insurance benefit will effect millions of American families that can’t afford it. The cost of McCain’s plan will keep increasing along with the number of uninsured. Here is a chart:

Yes, it’s pricey but everyone should be able to see a doctor and have basic coverage. That is why I am voting for Obama.

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Save to Browser Favorites / Bookmarks

Ask backflip blinklist BlogBookmark Bloglines BlogMarks Blogsvine BuddyMarks BUMPzee! CiteULike co.mments Connotea del.icio.us

Digg diigo DotNetKicks DropJack dzone Facebook Fark Faves Feed Me Links Friendsite folkd.com Furl Google

Hugg Jamespot Jeqq Kaboodle kirtsy linkaGoGo LinkedIn LinksMarker Ma.gnolia Mister Wong Mixx MySpace MyWeb

Netvouz Newsvine oneview OnlyWire PlugIM Propeller Reddit Rojo Segnalo Shoutwire Simpy Slashdot Sphere

Sphinn Spurl Squidoo StumbleUpon Technorati ThisNext Twitter Webride Windows Live Worlds Movies Yahoo!

Email This to a Friend

Copy HTML: 

 If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

More »