McCain’s cure for an ailing health insurance system
Tampa, FL– Getting more Americans health insurance and rebuilding the ailing U.S. health care system is about giving more power to the individual, Sen. John McCain declared Tuesday.
“The key to real reform is to restore control over our health-care system to the patients themselves,” he said in a speech at the University of South Florida–as he touted the power of the free market as the solution to the problem of nearly 47 million uninsured Americans. “Families should only pay for getting the right care: care that is intended to improve and safeguard their health….Americans need new choices beyond those offered in employment-based coverage. Americans want a system built so that wherever you go and wherever you work, your health plan goes with you.”
Flanked on stage by nearly 50 medical professionals, many in white doctor’s coats, McCain restated a number of aspects of the plan he initially laid out last fall–albeit with some new details–which at it’s heart offers a tax credit ($5,000 for families and $2,500 for individuals) for health insurance. The goal he says is to offer an alternative to employer-based coverage (as he will eliminate the current tax exclusion for people who receive coverage through work) and create an open market that will require insurance companies to compete for customers. The speech came in conjunction with a new health care ad (see above) set to air in the key swing state of Iowa.
McCain took a few shots at his Democratic rivals’ plans, which offer universal or near-universal coverage, arguing that they “will replace the inefficiency, irrationality, and uncontrolled costs of the current system with the inefficiency, irrationality, and uncontrolled costs of a government monopoly.” McCain also called on both Sens. Obama and Clinton to support medical liability reform if they are “sincere” about putting “the needs of patients before the demands of trial lawyers.”
McCain did offer a few more details on his plan to cover the nearly seven million Americans with pre-existing conditions–which critics say will lose out under the presumptive Republican nominee’s plan. Vowing to “work tirelessly to address” the problem for the “uninsurables,” McCain said he would lead an effort through the states to create an independent fund–called the Guaranteed Access Plan (GAP)–which would also receive several billion in federal cash.
But campaign advisers say they are still calculating a number of key figures, including how many uninsured Americans would be able to obtain insurance under the plan as well as the final price tag. “Remember, it is April, and the election’s November, so not everything will happen tomorrow or this week,” top policy adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin told reporters Monday night.
Democrats are already on the attack with the SEIU up with an ad in Ohio attacking the plan below (see below) and Elizabeth Edwards hammering McCain’s plan as a “tremendous disappointment.”
Tags: Elizabeth Edwards, Florida, health care, health insurance, john mccain, Oinounou
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TO MY FELLOW AMERICANS,
PREVIOUSLY - BARRACK OBAMA HAS FOUND TWO WORDS - “FORMER PASTOR” W/C ARE GOOD
EXCUSE WHENEVER HE ADDRESS NEWS MEDIA TO DEFEND HIS ASSOCIATIONS WITH
THIS RACIST JEREMIAH WRIGHT Jr…
THIS RACIST PASTOR GAVE US A CLUE ABOUT OBAMA WHEN HE SAID:
“AS A POLITICIAN, OBAMA WILL ALWAYS SPEAK AS POLITICIAN FOR ELECTABILTY SAKE…”
FOR THE LAST MONTH WE CAN NOTICE THESE TWO WORDS “FORMER PASTOR” EVERY TIME HE WILL COMMENT ABOUT HIS ASSOCIATION TO JEREMIAH WRIGHT Jr. FOR 20 YRS.
- BUT WILL NEVER DISOWN HIM…
ONE POET SAID: “OUR PAST WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF OUR FUTURE”…
BY NOT DISOWNING THIS “FORMER PASTOR” MEANS HE IS STILL PART OF HIM…
HERE ARE OBAMA’S WORDS AS OF TODAY :
REMEMBER - “OBAMA SPEAK LIKE A POLITICIAN!!” SEE IF HE WILL DISOWN HIM???
“Moving forward, Reverend Wright does not speak for me, he does not speak for my campaign,” he said, adding “I cannot prevent him from continuing to make these outrageous remarks.”
He continued, “I want to use this press conference to make people absolutely clear that obviously whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed as a consequence of this. I don’t think that he showed much concern for me.”
“What Reverend Wright said yesterday directly contradicts everything that I have done during my life,” he said.
Democratic strategist Steve Murphy told FOX News that Obama’s statements Tuesday should play a positive effect on his campaign. (”SPEAK LIKE A POLITICIAN” & “HOPE OF A POLITICIAN”
“People are going to say that Barack Obama should have done this a long time ago, but what’s important in a political campaign is that you have done the right thing, and I think most Americans would agree that Barack Obama now has done that,” -”SPEAK LIKE A POLITICIAN”.. he said.
HAVE YOU READ AND HEARD IF OBAMA DISOWN MR. JEREMIAH WRIGHT Jr.???
NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
- OBAMA WILL SPEAK LIKE A POLITICIAN AND TOLD WRIGHT ABOUT THIS BEFORE
APEARING TO NEWS MEDIA… WHAT NEXT AFTER ELECTION??? WE DON’T KNOW!!!!
AMERICANS SHOULD BE WARNED - “IF OBAMA BECOMES A PRESIDENT ?????”
THIS THE “DAY OF RECKONING” FOR THE BLACK PEOPLE WHO KEEP PROPAGATING THE
BLACK NEGATIVE HISTORY IN THE AMERICAN HISTORY TO GIVE REASONS OR
ENOUGH JUSTIFICATIONS TO MAKE WHITE PEOPLE SUFFER WHAT THEY SUFFERED.
“THEY ARE NOW EVEN THREATENING THAT IF OBAMA LOST THE DEMORATIC NOMINATION
THERE WILL BE CHAOS WHICH IS WORST THAN WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE…”
“THE ONLY SOLUTION IS IF OBAMA WILL LOSE THE REMAINING PRIMARIES TO VOID
THEIR ARGUMENT THAT OBAMA WON THE MOST DELEGATES AND THE POPULAR VOTES…”
ALL AMERICANS SHOULD UNITE TO STOP THIS PLAN OF THE FAR LEFT WING LIBERAL WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY SOME TERRORIST GROUP TO DESTROY AMERICA…
AMERICAN HATERS:
“FARRACKHAN”
“W. AYERS”
“WRIGHT Jr.”
“HAMAS GROUP”
“ARAB EXTREMISTS GROUP”
“MUSLIM EXTREMISTS GROUP”
“MICHELLE OBAMA”
“AND MORE WHO DON’T WANT TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES TO PROTECT OBAMA’S WIN!!!”
“AMERICA WAKE-UP”
VOTE SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON!!! AS PRESIDENT OF THE “UNITED” STATES OF AMERICA!!!
My major concern resides in two parts: 1) out-of-pocket costs, 2) those with preexisting conditions not being covered. Outside of Group Health Insurance there really is not a legitimate insurance company that would cover a person with preexisting conditions (like a chronic illness). If a company would insure, they would place a permanent rider on the preexisting condition.
TOO LITTLE — TOO LATE. AGAIN, HE WAS “FORCED” TO ADMIT ANOTHER LIE!
Today, Obama threw his mentor-pastor under the bus. He will say or do anything to get what he wants. Obama is a typical politician and will say what folks want to hear.
A few weeks ago, Obama threw his typical white grandmother under the bus, trying to protect Jeremiah Wright. At that time, he said, “I can no more disown the man, than disown the black community”. This tells us that he didn’t “disagree” with Wright. That’s not surprising since he had a 20-year relationship with Wright and kept attending the church.
Obama has been so deeply rooted in Wright that he could never serve ALL the people of America. Don’t forget his wife’s anti-American comments and his ties to Rezko, Ayers, Farrakhan, Sinclair and many others.
VOTE HILLARY 2008!
Obama, Clinton, and McCain are getting alot of questions about high gasoline prices.
TV news people are talking about possible $4/gallon gas this summer.
Environmental extremism has alot to do with these high prices.
Global Warming is a hoax and a false religion the roots of which come from some liberal political groups
hatred of capitalism and freedom and modern life as we know it for polluting the world and the
atmosphere and a false belief that this is causing worldwide climate change.
Most rational minded scholars, scientists and meteorologists do not share this radical politically motivated
view of climate change and make a convincing scientific argument against it.
Lawsuits filed by so-called environmentalists against every effort by energy providers to bring
fuel to market have driven up consumer prices to record levels and will go even higher.
Please understand that you can combat this trend by becoming educated on this subject and demand
that politicians denounce Global Warming and put a stop to dangerous environmental extremism
and environmental lawsuits against energy providers. Do a Google search on Global Warming Debunked
to get started. Write letters to your school board and let them know you don’t want your children
indoctrinated with only one side of the global warming debate. Democrats attack energy providers
for making a profit instead of admitting their own extreme and false environmental ideology is
the true cause of todays high costs of doing business. Democrats are against oil, natural gas,
coal, and nuclear energy development in our own country. Make no mistake about it, Democrats
are enemies of energy producers and the buck stops at their desks for our current economic situation.
Please keep this and the price of your fuel in mind when voting this November.
http://store.nicenecouncil.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=427
Get back on the issue folks. McCain just offer the American working class people a $2,500 tax credit per single person or $5,000 per family for medical care? What is wrong with your man, folks? How’s that going to drive the cost down. If the current market is already unaffordable how is giving the American people a $2.500 going to make a difference? Are you kidding me? Its clear now McCain is an elitist. If I can get the same health care and doctors he has with my $2,500 tax credit then and only then I will retract my statement and he will then he have my vote.
I have to agree that Swnator McCain has a point. I am 49yr old married with 2 children. I am on Medicare due to CHF and kidney failure. I wanted to get my hearing checked as I am having a problem and Medicare doesn’t cover the hearing aid equipment.
Thats right Shreve. I dont think your supplemental does either. But your medicare premiums go up every year. and with their being more added to s.s. and Medicare it isn’t going to get any better.
Comment by AreYouKiddingMe
April 29th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Get back on the issue folks. McCain just offer the American working class people a $2,500 tax credit per single person or $5,000 per family for medical care? What is wrong with your man, folks? How’s that going to drive the cost down. If the current market is already unaffordable how is giving the American people a $2.500 going to make a difference? Are you kidding me? Its clear now McCain is an elitist. If I can get the same health care and doctors he has with my $2,500 tax credit then and only then I will retract my statement and he will then he have my vote.
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Here’s an idea….WORK for your health insurance…buy insurance rather than the computer your on…leave MY insurance alone.
If you call McCain’s health care approach a plan, you can call me an astronaut. He does not guarantee that individuals will be able to buy a plan even if they can afford it. For those with pre-exisiting conditions, McCain says too bad. You can go without or pay more in high risk pools. Will somebody please ask him how this is an affective policy.
Right now, insurers reject individuals in record numbers. This so-called plan will make matters so much worse. More uninsure equals greater costs for everyong. People don’t go to high risk pools because they can’t afford insurance. They go there because they are rejected by insurers. And high risk pools always cost more. Go to http://www.mediamethadone.blogspot.com for more
Waaahh…I wasted my life, lived beyond my means and now I demand the same thing you hard working people have…Waaahhh.
LOL…typical liberal thinking.
Jeff X,
Nobody is messing with your health care insurance or mine. But you don’t care for those who work yet they still can’t affordable a health care or a computer. Are you kidding me? Health care for all in this great nation. Even McCain believes that. Right He just don’t know how to go about doing it. His plan is to give each family a $5,000 tax credit for insurance now all he need to do is show what a family can get for $5,000. If you know please share it. Thanks
Comment by AreYouKiddingMe
April 29th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Jeff X,
Nobody is messing with your health care insurance or mine. But you don’t care for those who work yet they still can’t affordable a health care or a computer. Are you kidding me? Health care for all in this great nation. Even McCain believes that. Right He just don’t know how to go about doing it. His plan is to give each family a $5,000 tax credit for insurance now all he need to do is show what a family can get for $5,000. If you know please share it. Thanks
__________________________________________________________________________________
I’ll try to speak CLEARLY. I don’t owe anyone health insurance. The government doesn’t owe anyone health insurance. Get your own d**ned insurance and stop waiting for the “mommy government” to wipe you nose.
Are you kiddin’
Sorry if I sounded so nasty..but I’m really getting tired of government handouts
NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!NEWS FLASH!!!
FROM A RELIABLE OBAMA CAMP INSIDER:
BARRACK OBAMA IS NOW CONTEMPLATING TO CALL IT QUIT ?????
AND IS NOW COORDINATING WITH THE CLINTON CAMP WITH THE POSSIBLE VP SLOT??
THEY WILL ANNOUCE THE DROP OUT THIS MONDAY BEFORE NC & INDIANA PRIMARIES???
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS NEWS FLASH??? WOW????
wishful thinking
I don’t believe in hand outs either but we should provide standard life threatening health care for all our people. This is the great country in the world its time we take this on.
In 2007, total national health expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent — two times the rate of inflation.1 Total spending was $2.3 TRILLION in 2007, or $7600 per person.1 Total health care spending represented 16 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
U.S. health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade reaching $4.2 TRILLION in 2016, or 20 percent of GDP.1
In 2007, employer health insurance premiums increased by 6.1 percent - two times the rate of inflation. The annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $12,100. The annual premium for single coverage averaged over $4,400.2
AreyoukiddingMe…the government health care ISN’T free, it’ll be borne on the backs of working people in the form of outrageous taxes or deep federal debt. Ever see people use something they consider “free”. You’ll have lines a mile long by hypochondriacs clogging the emergency rooms with “the sniffles”.
Nationalized health care DOES NOT work in ANY country it has been tried.
Jeff X,
We are the only major industrialized country in the world who doesn’t have a form of Universial Health care. Plus we spend far higher percentage of GDP on health care than any other country and still have worse ratings when it comes to quality of care, efficiency of care, access to care, safe care, equity, and wait times than countries than do.
Since you don’t care about the less fortunate (I not trying to insult you or anything but I couldn’t come up with any other way to describe your stance)… what about the cost to businesses? Factories, and union based jobs cite heath care expenses as one of the largest causes for finincial troubles.
They say heath care costs for around a $900 to $1400 mark up on cars to help cover the cost of the business providing heath care instead of the gov.
McCain’s plan sounds like that nightmare HMO. Why can’t they just eliminate taxes and let us use that on our health care. We just might be able to afford to go to the dentist to.
I’m not thrilled with Hillary’s plan either, it sounds like we are going to be penalized if we can’t afford it, and don’t get it. We already have enough things to get penalized for that we can’t afford. If we could keep the money that we work for instead of giving most of our paychecks to the government to use on their needs, and the career welfare recipients, we just might be able to afford insurance for our healthcare.
Obama’s healthcare plan is almost like Hillary’s.
[...] Has A Plan! Jump to Comments A plan for healthcare, that is: Flanked on stage by nearly 50 medical professionals, many in white doctor’s coats, [...]
I say cut out unnecessary, expensive, inefficient, greedy, amoral middlemen (profit-driven health insurers) and start utilizing efficiencies of scale. All Americans need to be united into one large United Protection Pool for health insurance coverage, with not-for-profit but very well compensated health care providers remaining independent as they are now. That way we would have totally free choice among all care providers, be able to cover everyone far more reliably and comprehensively, and still save about $350 billion collectively every year. The added bonus would be that no American would be discriminated against because of their health.
Our hero, John McCain
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Disabled_group_members_arrested_at_McCains_0430.html
Comment by Nick Mitchell
April 30th, 2008 at 11:16 am Our hero, John McCain
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Disabled_group_members_arrested_at_McCains_0430.html
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Read the story Nick. They asked to speak to McCain, McCain is out of state campaigning. McCain’s staff offered to speak to them, they refused. They were told of McCain’s town hall meeting schedule..that wasn’t good enough as well.
Really Nick, your “see spot run” deductive reasoning is letting you down..
Universal health care is socialism. Everyone pays a portion of what they make and anyone who wants to use this system uses it. (NOT need to use! but wants to!) Example: Go to the doctor because i want a day off of work without getting fired. This and many more reason I’m against UH!
Our current system is broke because business can use the insurance premiums as a tax write off. Individuals can’t. McCain’s plan is the start of what will hopefully be the end to HMO’s, Group insurance, employment benefits, union benefits, and etc. This is the only way to really fix health care.
We need everyone to be in control of their own life, their own expense and their own future. When this happens people’s quality of life will increase because they will see a direct relationship between their choices and checkbook.
We need Americans to utilize Medical Savings Accounts and have the ability for employers to continue to receive tax write offs by donating to their employees MSA.
We need the government to create a high deductible, high premium risk plan that anyone can choose to go with. Most healthy people will choose to stay in the private sector where companies will compete for them but once they get sick they will have to option to join the government’s risk plan. This keep competition in the market. Competition create innovation, lower prices and higher quality.
Most states require car insurance to drive on the road. We need to make health insurance mandatory for all Americans. If they choose not to get insurance the government should be able to withhold any tax returns, add the Risk premiums to their property taxes, levy wages and etc.
Examples of MSA numbers:
$5K to $5M 100% plan for an 18 year old male only costs $33.33 a month.
$5K to $5M 100% plan for an 30 year old male only costs $100 a month.
$5K to $5M 100% plan for an 55 year old male only costs $450 a month.
At age 18 until your are 65 years old you or your employer deposits $2000 a year above your premium by age 23 1/2 you will have no more deducibles because you will have more $ in your MSA account than you would every use in one year. If you never use any of these funds you will have over 1 Million dollars in your MSA at age 65 (because of compounding interest.) Or maybe at age 50 you decide to stop paying anything. Your premiums will just come out of your MSA.
Health care is a pretty simple problem to fix as long as you keep it out of the hands of the government and insurance companies. It needs to be in the hands of individuals.
[...] McCains cure for an ailing health insurance system The goal he says is to offer an alternative to employer-based coverage (as he will eliminate the current tax exclusion for people who receive coverage through work) and create an open market that will require insurance companies to … [...]