Comments on: Top Economist Says McCain’s Health Plan Better for More Americans

By: Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:11:58 +0000

Something I think the author of the WSJ seems to have avoided, but then tripped himself up on, is that the reason why Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits for healthcare are such a burden, is because the private health insurance industry either doesn’t want to know about the people who have to refer themselves to federal funding, or cannot afford any private healthcare plan. Thereby the Obama plan intended to enforce employers to involve their employees in healthcare plans will enable many more people to get healthcare, and come off the federal budget’s books.

By: McCain’s Health Plan Will Help More People « Waste Of My Oxygen

McCain’s Health Plan Will Help More People « Waste Of My Oxygen — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:12:06 +0000

[...] More People Posted on October 30, 2008 by wasteofmyoxygen According to a top economist, 15-21 million currently uninsured Americans will insurance will be able to get insurance under McCai…. That is about half of the current uninsured [...]

By: William Knight

William Knight — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:27:25 +0000

McCain’s plan is a radical change from the current system. In essence, it puts faith in deregulation and the free market as the solution to our health care problems. Unfortunately recent events have shown that simplistic ideology hasn’t worked so well.

A more detailed analysis indicates that under McCain’s plan it’s likely that more people will become uninsured over time, as the value of the tax cut relative to health care costs decreases over time.

Details here: http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.27.6.w472/DC1

By: Noel Capone

Noel Capone — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:23:17 +0000

John McCains plan is going to result in a lot people going broke in order to come up with the money to pay for his plan. At $14,000. - then subtract the $5000. credit, im still in the hole for $9,000. Do you guys have any idea where folks who are already in the hole are going to come up with that kind of money, especialy working class folks. Having to take a loan to pay for my families healthcare is insane, now i have to pay interest on the loan and what about next year when the primiums go up because the healthcare companies costs go up and this will happen every year. Just imagine what it will cost when my kids are teenagers ten years from now. John McCains plan will make americans poorer so now there is no money for other things like trying to save for my kids college education. Most americans live pay check to pay check and with the plan costing $1160.00 a month most folks won’t be able to afford this and insurance companies are going to have less customers thus lowering the insurance companies profits. You saw what happend when gas prices went through the roof, gas consumption went way down that will happen with this plan as well. Americans will sacrifice their health if they can’t afford it, then they will show up at emergency rooms increasing costs for all and clogging up emergency rooms all over the country. Your Economist dosen’t seem to understand that in a country of 300 million people with an industrial economy there needs to benevilance, charity and dececy in a capitalist system other wise people are going to advocate for more help from their goverment exactly the situation you don’t want.

NTC

By: Henry Stiles

Henry Stiles — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:18:44 +0000

What worries me about this plan is it sounds like the preventive care and recommended tests and procedures would not be covered, in my case a colonoscopy. If these costs are left solely to the individual, these things will not get done and I suspect you will have a rise in catastrophic illnesses.

By: CREIGHDON

CREIGHDON — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:15:55 +0000

41 million people pay medicare,3,833,500,000/mo,for insurance???
it should be used to pay medical bills,
put it in banks,with instructions to pay certified doctors, clinics, and hospitals,via on line banking,I use it,, to pay all my bills,,and the service is free, and the bank pays interest on my balance,,, PAYING INSURANCE COMPANIES IS COUNTER PRODUCTIVE

By: rick

rick — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:14:01 +0000

Anyone who thinks the govt will give them a $5k REFUNDABLE tax credit needs to come see me I have a bridge to sell them as well. It’s not gonna happen. How many people that can’t afford health coverage will go get it because they get this credit? Probably not very many.

By: lovetochat

lovetochat — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:10:54 +0000

People need to calculate depending on their tax bracket how much $5K TAX CREDIT is equivalent of their additional income. People who are in lower tax bracket will benefits the most.

I still think that most do not understand the benefits of $5K TAX CREDIT.

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:04:52 +0000

First of all, opinion pieces in the Wall Street Journal might as well be written by the RNC and Rupert Murdock. As to the points of the article, I pay $5400 and my employer pays the same. This covers my wife, child, and self. If catastrophic care is 25%-50% cheaper then my health care cost could be between $5400 and $8100 which I would pay myself. Under the McCain plan, I get $5000 back, but I loose the benefit of tax deductibility on $5400 of my salary and the $5400 of employer help in paying for my health insurance and full health insurance coverage. This would also mean that I pay the full amount of routine medical treatment, not the 30% of that amount that the insurance company actually pays. What a deal!

By: lovetochat

lovetochat — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:59:31 +0000

we spend about $6k/year for individual health care insurance and we have HSA. It works better then employer sponsored health plan. I purchase the plan that fits my family. I do not have to wait from 30 days to 12 month for employee’s benefits to start, I am not afraid to change my job. I can switch to another plan or change the insurance company of my choice.

McCain health plan will work even better for our family. $5k tax credit will equivalent of roughly $20K of additional income ( we are in low tax bracket). It will live some cash in my pocket every year.