Jacklyn Lathrop
Bleck
English 101
Due Aug 11, 2008

A New Idea

Health care solutions have long past become an important issue for this country. “There is a consensus on the major problems plaguing the U.S. health care system” which “serves too few, costs too much, harms too many, and is too inefficient” (Flint & Gorin). Senator John McCain “advocates a genuinely conservative vision for health care reform which does not rely on state power to mandate care, coverage or cost” (Flint & Gorin). It is time for a change in the way we approach this topic. McCain’s competition; Barrack Obama does not have this new way of thinking. This country needs to reduce health care costs and insure 47 millions of Americans who have no coverage. Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson write in Un-Spun; finding facts in a world of disinformation, that “extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence”. Some experts are agreeing with these extraordinary claims and saying that McCain’s Health Plan has too many down falls and might drive costs up for the elderly. McCain will lower health care costs and give the freedom of choice back into the hands of the people.

McCain plans to give choices to Americans, and argues that Republicans and Democrats need to begin to work together on runaway health care costs and other entitlement programs (Ignatius). McCain’s ideas for a better health plan is to provide access to health care for every American (McCain). “He believes the key to health care reform is to restore control to the patients themselves, and make it easier for individuals to obtain insurance by offering more choices beyond employer-based insurance coverage” (McCain). He plans on doing this by offering individuals the choice to buy insurance plans across state lines. This will be key to boosting the competition in the price of all insurance plans which Americans know are very pricey. “Although increases in personal health care spending have ‘slowed’ on recent years, the relief for purchasers and consumers will be short lived” (Flint & Gorin). It was just a decade ago when affordability was primarily a problem limited to low-income families, but it has increasingly become an issue for middle-income families” (Flint & Gorin). After the new freedom to choose, the insurance providers will be more inclined to lower their rates so that they might have an individual’s business. Statewide insurance choice is necessary to lower the insurance rates across the country.

McCain also plans to offer a refundable tax credit of $2,500-$5,000 to anyone who buys health insurance, weather they work or not (Sahadi). The amount one receives will be determined by the size of their family; a single individual will receive $2,500 while families receive $5,000 which will be a direct refundable tax credit, meaning that after the individual chooses the provider that they like best the money will be sent directly to them. “The credit would make the health insurance system less employer-centric” and will be given to counter the tax subsidy that one normally gets from having insurance through their place of employment (McCain). Typically those companies pay between 70% to 85% of premiums while workers don't pay income tax on that subsidy (Sahadi). So with the aid of the tax credit one will be able to afford these rates until they are lowered. If there is a remaining balance from the tax credit the individual can transfer these funds to an Expanded Health Savings Account.

McCain plans to make insurance more portable meaning that it would follow an individual from job to job (McCain).This would be a beneficial asset to have when an individual moves or retires early, something that this country doesn’t have today. McCain has many feasible advantages for the working class American which are needed. Obama’s plan does not give portable insurance, and will only make coverage mandatory for children. While McCain’s plan would rely more on the individual efforts to drive down costs, Obama would rely more on government and establish mandates for companies and individuals (McCain, Sahadi). Although both McCain and Obama have similar ideas for these kinds of programs. McCain plans to create a state-level Guaranteed Access Plan, otherwise known as (GAP) that would receive federal funds and provide subsidies to low-income Americans. Obama also plans for a similar plan called the National Health Insurance Exchange (McCain). Though both candidates have similar savings plans devoted to insurance coverage they are very different in their approach to fixing this country’s health care issues.

Some experts have scrutinized McCain’s health care plans as extraordinary claims by stating that “they may drive up insurance costs for older or sicker workers because the credit could encourage younger, healthier workers to look for cheaper plans outside of their company” (Sahadi). If rates are driven higher than the remaining employees to insure might be a more expensive group, and then possibly charged more for premiums. Then the individuals employer might think twice about offering insurance coverage at all. McCain has considered these issues and has found a solution for this possible but yet not probable problem; the tax credit. As stated earlier, the tax credit will help Americans counter the possible high rates and relieve some of the burden of costly health coverage. Though McCain seems as if he has extraordinary claims one can see his logic and if everything went according to plan, would be a start to fixing one of the most important issues here in America. Also with the choice to choose where and who your insurance provider is, the individual can shop around to find the lowest costs. These are all “win win” solutions.

In regards to the U.S.’ health care problems McCain has new ideas that this country has desperately been waiting for. “The silence of health care as a critical policy has never been greater, we need a president who recognizes the centrality of affordable, accessible, quality health care as a prerequisite to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Flint & Gorin). Now is the time to choose the future Chief Executive that will make appropriate changes in this country’s top problem, and Obama’s health care plans may not be the change that is necessary. Lower insurance costs, and more choices in how, and where people choose their insurance provider is what people want. McCain knows that “for too long, our nation's leaders have talked about reforming health care, now is the time to act” (McCain). The country is ready to decide and hopefully that decision will result in answered promises; McCain has the ideas and the promises. What’s needed is clear; a new fresh approach, and McCain’s bold solutions is just that.

“Health Care” (John McCain 2008), Aug 10, 2008: http://www.johnmccain.com/

Ignatius, David. "Rise of the Center; Voters Are Choosing Performance Over Rhetoric :[FINAL Edition]. " The Washington Post [Washington, D.C.] 11 Nov. 2005: Aug, 10,2008: A.25. ProQuest National Newspapers Core. ProQuest. 10 Aug. 2008

Jackson, Brooks; Hall Jamieson, Kathleen. Un-Spun: Finding Facts in a World of [Disinformation]. New York: Random House, Inc. 2007.

Sahadi, Jeanne. “Solving a $2 trillion puzzle.” CNNMoney.com senior writer, May 1, 2008: Aug 10, 2008: http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/04/news/economy/mccain_obama_econplans/inde...

S. Flint, Samuel; H. Gorin, Stephen. "Health Care Reform in the 2008 Presidential Primaries. " Health & Social Work 33.2 (2008): Aug 10, 2008: 83-6. Research Library Core. ProQuest. 2008

Jacklyn,