McCain’s Health Care Plan: Higher Taxes, Less Coverage

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/21/mccains-health-care-plan-higher-taxes-less-coverage/

by Seth Michaels, Feb 21, 2008

In a time of uncertainty and economic risk, people are more and more concerned about whether they’ll be covered in the event of a medical problem. As we’ve seen from the responses to the AFL-CIO’s 2008 Health Care for America Survey, those of you who have secure health care through your jobs know how lucky you are—and those whose employers have cut health care benefits are facing serious challenges.



Mary Anne, in Greenfield, Wis., has seen this dynamic firsthand:

As the Benefit Administrator in a midsized organization for many years, I have seen health insurance issues balloon into a truly ugly monster. Today, health insurance premiums are second only to wages in employer expenses. The premium costs to employers has skyrocketed, which in turn, has caused employers to pass on those huge increases to their employees by having the employee pay a percentage of the monthly cost. Not only have premiums increased dramatically, the benefits have decreased. Now employees must pay out-of-pocket expenses which can run into the thousands. These are the best-case scenarios. These are the lucky folks. I know many Americans who can afford little or no health insurance; they work; they have jobs, but are not covered by their employer. We need a change and soon.

(Click here to fill out the survey and tell your health care story. You can vote here on the stories you think make the most impact.)

Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) have proposed solutions to the nation’s health care crisis that would go a long way toward addressing the needs of working families. (You can download a side-by-side comparison of the presidential candidates’ health care plans here.) Yet, the Republican presidential frontrunner, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), is backing a plan that would make health care even more out of reach for most of us.


FULL story at link.

[madaboutharry]

1. I saw McCain here in Wisconsin

on my son's field trip. McCain said exactly these words: "Health care is a family matter." I thought to myself "what the hell does that mean?" Well, I know what it means. If you don't have health insurance, tough shit.

[OzarkDem]

2. Get used to it

I have a feeling this is what we'll be looking forward to after November.

[DaveJ]

3. A Republican running on decreasing healthcare coverage

Why not? It seems to have worked for them in the past.

It's unbelievable. He wants to treat "employer-sponsored health benefits as taxable income."

Just another reason for employers to deny help with coverage.

Employers who help probably pay roughly half of the coverage now. So when they stop helping, those costs will double. The price of healthcare overall would also increase due to the increase in those who are uncovered.

McCain is a lunatic.

[lonestarnot]

4. McDrain's h.c.p. DIE BIATCHES!