McCain: The senator's house call

Posted: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:14 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: 2008, McCain

The Washington Post's Shear previews McCain's health care speech today. "In Sen. John McCain's perfect health care world, individuals would each seek the ideal health insurance policy in a competitive marketplace that would drive down premiums even as prevention and healthier living reduces the cost of care. That's the vision McCain will outline Tuesday morning as he launches a week-long discussion of health care and his efforts to improve quality and increase access. The vision is not new -- he's been talking about it for months -- but aides promised a few more details as McCain seeks an alternative to the plans being offered by Democrats.”

“The centerpiece of McCain's plan remains a $5,000 tax credit that individuals could use to search out the best insurance for their needs. McCain economic adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin told reporters in a briefing Monday evening that the tax credit would allow some people to leave their employer-sponsored plan and do better on their own."

USA Today has more: "McCain's plan aims at eliminating ‘the bias toward employer-sponsored health insurance’ by offering tax credits for individual plans, according to his campaign website. The credits would be $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families. Those amounts would be subtracted from the final tax bill. Families, the campaign says, should be able to buy nationwide policies that can move from state to state.”

“The Bush administration has proposed health care tax deductions of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families. Such write-offs have limited value because average family health care plans cost about $12,000 a year, says Ken Thorpe, a health policy professor at Emory University in Atlanta. Also, many insurers won't accept individuals with pre-existing medical problems, he says.

McCain's campaign unveils a 60-second health-care ad that begins airing today in Iowa only.

McCain's got a major joint fundraiser with the RNC planned for next week with a $4 million goal.

The New York Times’ Rutenberg looks at the DNC attack ad on McCain.

The RNC, though, is demanding that the cable news channels yank the ad.

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Comments

In a perfect health care world, pre-existing conditions are covered. It's the same Repub health plan as ever, summed up in four words - "don't get sick, sucker!"

Joe Einloth (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:21 AM)

They have it right; in the PERFECT world of Mccaine's healthcare vision. Raise your hands if you think this perfect world can ever exist, or that, based on common experience, we can trust the healthcare industry to give us the best treatment for the best price? I don't see many hands out there...

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:24 AM)

Tax credits are great only if one has income high enough to benefit. The very wealthy love tax credits. The rest of us have barely enough income to survive and pay relatively low taxes so a tax credit is meaningless.

Bruce St. Helens OR (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:25 AM)

OK, my monthly insurance cost is $1200 - each month. My employer pays most of the cost, but that is what it would cost me to purchase the same coverage. Employer based policies are so much better than individual policies, where rules are tailored made to benefit the insurance company. Limits are very low, better not have to have two rounds or Kmo or start planning the funeral. He just does not get it. If the individual plans had to the follow the same rules as the employer based plans, maybe that would be a good place to start. But a $2500 tax credit, for me, means I would go without health insurance. His numbers are just not realitic. Go back to the drawing board McCain. I hope you come up with something, truly, the health of our country depends on it.

sue, pembroke, nh (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:26 AM)

As long as our nation's resources are funneled into the increasing spiral of war, as our two more traditional or stereotypical candidates would have it, we will never be able to heal our economy. We will not be able to reduce our national debt, repair our infrastructure, maintain both interest rates and inflation at low rates, and bring new and better jobs. Only Barack Obama's common sense approach to national security policy will make the healing of our economy possible.

Gregory Peek, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:27 AM)

This just proves how out of touch McCain is. My just out of college young adults would not find that much help. You would not be able to buy any reasonable coverage for that amount.

The way to drive down health care costs is to make sure that people are covered. Right now, if people can't afford to see a doctor, they wind up waiting until they are forced to, when the cost of care is higher, and generally they use an Emergency Room instead of a primary care physician. When hospitals wind up writing off the bills because they are unaffordable, the rest of us wind up with higher medical costs.

sotiredofignorance (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:29 AM)

competion will not bring down health care cost because health insurers will eventually merge and then raise the price as high as they want to and consumers will have no choice but to pay thru the nose just like the oil companies have done.

thats a fact jack (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:30 AM)

The problem with McCain's plan and others like it, is the notion of cherry picking and pre-existing conditions.

Yes, some people would be able to find plans helped with the addition of more money through the tax credit. But many would not. Companies will compete for the healthiest of us (and that might be fair if we could 100% control our health through our efforts) but many of us would be left behind. People with pre-existing conditions (through no fault of their own) or perhaps with bad health profiles or bad health predictor indicators would be denied care (i.e., it would be made prohibitively expensive). Health care costs would continue to rise to pay for the un- or underinsured. Then you would have to raise the tax credit again. And who protects against induced demand?

I believe only some form of universal health insurance (with some sort of incentive system for preventive medicine practices) will both keep down health care costs and ensure everyone access to decent health care.

Obama for our best future 08

Lisa, New Britain, CT CT for Obama (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:31 AM)

Watch out for the fine print exclusions on this should old "Bomb Iran" ever be elected. Make the rich richer and keep those with the least at the mercy of corporate discretion is all his plan will amount to.

bill, okla (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:36 AM)

What the hell good is a tax credit to an uninsured low income earner? Don't' these repubs get it that there are people out here in this country who have never had a tax problem? Hey repubs - stick your tax credits up where your heads are!

Brian, Cedar Hill, TX (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:46 AM)

When annual presiums with hundreds of dollars worth of deductables cost more than $24,000 a year, a measley little $5000 tax credit at the end of the tax year is not going to do it. McCain is so out of touch with reality, I really think he's got a screw lose in his metal plating in his head when he crashed landed in Vietnam, or from his days as a POW. He's so wrong for this country because he's BUSH III. And, McCain, if employee sponsored health care plans are so bad, I hope you dont' participate in the one your employer, the US Senate, provides. Can anyone see if this guy has opted out of the gov't sponsored health care plan? He with his heiress rich trophy wife could affored to pay all his bills out of pocket. I just don't want to fund his depends.

Pat Huntington NY (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:57 AM)

Straight Talk Express made a couple HUGE U-turns on Iraq. When will First Read address this?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/28/mccain-strongly-rejected_n_99082.html

ABC Stinks (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:05 AM)

Does McCain have any clue how much it costs to buy health insurance?

Evidently not.

sotiredofignorance (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:15 AM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
The health care system in this country is a collection of unregulated monopolies. From the American Medical Association to the Pharmacuticals to your local Hospital! Open these rackets up and you will see prices drop. These guys make Al Capone look like a boy scout!

twocanpete (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:28 AM)

The only "perfect world' healthcare system is that which is enjoyed by John McCain, Dick Cheney, GW Bush, senators and congressman. They've taken care of themselves so they have no need to pay premiums, fight insurance companies, or worry about any health care issues. They're completely insulated from the huge expenses faced by many americans. And they will continue to keep their "perfect world" health care system all to themselves. If they were really serious about this subject, they would pass legislation for the general public which mirrors their health care coverage. Fat chance.

R.Merrell (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:59 AM)

R.Merrell (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:00 AM)

You liberal democrats slay me.You all want the goverment to support you. That my friends is called SOCIALISM. All you have to do is look at other countries with national health care, etc. they pay 40-45% in taxes, get real!

FREE AND THE BRAVE (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:26 AM)

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