Jump to content
w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r

McCain plan to "reform" health care: It's scary

 Share

17 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

Filed: Timeline

Des Moines was among McCain's stops this week in spreading the word about his health-care plan. He talked again about his plan to shift the country from an employer-based system of insurance to one where individuals and families purchase insurance on their own. He would encourage this by eliminating tax breaks for businesses offering health insurance and providing breaks to individuals who purchase coverage.

The proposal should scare the heck out of the millions of Americans who rely on employer-based coverage. Iowans who have tried to buy affordable coverage on their own know they need more than a tax credit and good health. Sometimes they need a winning lottery ticket.

Buying individual policies means having your health history reviewed. It means not having the bargaining power and protections that come with being part of a plan offered by an employer. And it's expensive.

So before McCain tries out this dangerous experiment on the American people, he should conduct a sort of pilot project - by starting with the man in the mirror.

After all, McCain's "employers" are the taxpayers of this country. Let him and other members of Congress ditch their employer-based insurance and go shopping on the open market. Rather than relying on the huge bargaining power of the federal government, let them negotiate cheaper and better health plans on their own.

The senator is 71. He's had his share of health problems, including melanoma. Perhaps private-sector health insurers will line up to offer him an affordable plan that doesn't exclude coverage for his pre-existing conditions.

And McCain - who is also eligible for taxpayer-supported Medicare - should consider extending his ideas to the over-65 crowd. He said this week he rejects a "big government" takeover of health care. It doesn't get much bigger than the more than 40 million Americans who rely on Medicare. As baby boomers retire, the program will grow more. McCain might suggest dismantling Medicare and sending seniors out to purchase insurance on their own - with help from a tax credit, of course - and see what voters think of that idea.

The senator is correct that the employer-based system of health insurance in this country isn't working. Businesses are saddled with the high costs of coverage, putting them at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace. Insurance shouldn't be tied to jobs.

But the more reasonable solution is to offer everyone what Medicare already offers: health coverage financed by a combination of tax dollars and participant contributions, thus allowing the huge bargaining power of millions of Americans to leverage down costs.

That idea is nowhere near as radical as forcing millions of Americans to shop for their own coverage in a profit-driven, private-insurance sector.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.../805030315/1110

Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Other Country: United Kingdom
Timeline
In his mind, it does. In his mind, the core problem is that the insurance companies aren't making enough money. He intends to fix that.

I remember him saying "the whole problem with healthcare is that insurance costs too much". I guess I'm still not understanding how his plan is going to lower those costs.

If I had to guess I imagine what will more than likely happen is that we will see a whole slew of bare-bones bargain basement insurance plans catered to provide coverage to the lower economic classes - which will cut down on the uninsured statistics, but which will be of dubious quality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

And lets face it the costs for those with plans through their emloyers will go up because now you are only buying for one and not a bulk policy.

K-1 journey, AOS/EAD and ROC in my timeline

2011 March 31 - Sent off Naturalization pkg overnight to Texas

2011 April 1 - Arrived in Texas at 10:21 am

2011 April 1 - NOA (rec'd via snail mail April 8)

2011 April 7 - Cheque cashed

2011 May 5 - Biometrics (letter rec'd via snail mail April 15)

2011 May 9 - Placed in line for interview scheduling

2011 June 13 - Rec'd yellow letter (no change in status online)

2011 June 23 - Rec'd text that my case has been scheduled for interview

2011 August 1 - Interview (rec'd via snail mail June 27) PASSED

2011 August 3 - Rec'd email that my case has been scheduled for Oath

2011 September 1 - Oath ceremony (rec'd snail mail Aug 5)

2011 September 1 - All done, yeah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Canada
Timeline
And lets face it the costs for those with plans through their emloyers will go up because now you are only buying for one and not a bulk policy.

exactly.

*Cheryl -- Nova Scotia ....... Jerry -- Oklahoma*

Jan 17, 2014 N-400 submitted

Jan 27, 2014 NOA received and cheque cashed

Feb 13, 2014 Biometrics scheduled

Nov 7, 2014 NOA received and interview scheduled


MAY IS NATIONAL STROKE AWARENESS MONTH
Educate Yourself on the Warning Signs of Stroke -- talk to me, I am a survivor!

"Life is as the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset" ---Crowfoot

The true measure of a society is how those who have treat those who don't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Other Country: United Kingdom
Timeline
And lets face it the costs for those with plans through their emloyers will go up because now you are only buying for one and not a bulk policy.

Of course - there's no way it will cost less. Or I should say - "there's no way it will cost less without compromising the quality of coverage".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And lets face it the costs for those with plans through their emloyers will go up because now you are only buying for one and not a bulk policy.

Because of the requirement to cover preexisting conditions, the cost per person for insurance through employers is actually higher than buying it individually. However in many cases, employers will subsidize part or all of the insurance cost.

keTiiDCjGVo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Timeline
In his mind, it does. In his mind, the core problem is that the insurance companies aren't making enough money. He intends to fix that.

I'll tell you here and now that this will fly right back into his face. There's no majority for this.

I know. How come he doesn't? :wacko:

Because - he is out of touch!

Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, that would be the clincher for me were I to be a voter in the pres election. There is no way I would vote for someone advocating this kind of solution to the health care crisis. I hope this proposal gets a lot of coverage by the media and voters understand what this would mean to them.

I understand that business does need to be competitive globally but the idea that the right way to go about this is to remove health care responsibilities from business without providing some effective way for individuals to purchase health care that is comprehensive and affordable is monumentally flawed.

Edited by Purple_Hibiscus

Refusing to use the spellchick!

I have put you on ignore. No really, I have, but you are still ruining my enjoyment of this site. .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
- Back to Top -

Important Disclaimer: Please read carefully the Visajourney.com Terms of Service. If you do not agree to the Terms of Service you should not access or view any page (including this page) on VisaJourney.com. Answers and comments provided on Visajourney.com Forums are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Visajourney.com does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. VisaJourney.com does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney.com recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board. If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by contacting us here with a url link to that content. Thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...