McCain missed chance on Healht Plan
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| Thu, 10-16-2008 - 10:39am |
I care about healthcare and being a Democrat I always believed we should all have it. I have read both candidates plans and read many expert analysis. In the last debate, Obama brought up two women he spoke with who had just lost their jobs and lost their employer provided healthcare. Obama's plan will do nothing for those two women. They are unemployed and uninsured. Obama will offer them the chance to buy insurance from the government, being unemployed that is going to be difficult. He'll give a credit to small businesses for providing insurance, but these women are not employed. He will fine them if they do not find and buy insurance for their children.
By contrast, McCain's plan will give these women $2,500 toward the purchase of a healthcare policy. Obama kept saying how McCain will tax benefits, but if you are unemployed and uninsured you aren't getting tax-free benefits in the first place. This is one area were we should say the employed with insurance can pay a little more to help the uninsured. If McCain can help us buy insurance outside of our employers then maybe we can hold onto that insurance when we change jobs. Maybe we'll have more than 1 or 2 options too.
In the second debate Obama said healthcare is a right. But under his plan anyone working for a small business, anyone unemployed, students and stay-at-home parents are still stuck buying it. Large companies are incented to provide coverage, but large companies already do. And Obama's plan will require employers contribute to the cost of employee coverage, that does not mean they have to offer a good plan, an affordable plan, or offer a plan that covers spouses and children.
Pennsylvania Mom
http://openlettertobarack.blogspot.com/

This is one area were we should say the employed with insurance can pay a little more to help the uninsured.
I completely understand there are some that just get stuck between a rock and a hard place where they lose their job and therefore insurance.
Health Care Spin
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/health_care_spin.html
You wouldn't be paying more for someone else, in reality you'd be on the same level playing field as everyone else. So right now you get a tax break because you get insurance. If you lose your job or find a job without insurance, you have to buy insurance with after tax dollars. But you'd get a credit to help pay for it.
It probably wouldn't cost you more anyway - your insurance company is going to get the money from the government, meaning your company won't have to pay as much for the policy, and since they want to keep you working there they'll likely pass those savings onto you. It's an adjustment but it won't necessarily cost you more, it will help the uninsured and make it affordable for more people to get insurance on their own that they won't lose when they change jobs.
ok, you said "This is one area were we should say the employed with insurance can pay a little more to help the uninsured."
so how would i not be paying more if i'm paying a little more to help the uninsured, lol?