Thank you Obama for finally pointing out that the $5000 "credit" John McCain promises is not enough to pay for health insurance let alone all those pesky exclusions, copayments and deductibles. McCain himself tried to counter Obama's number of over $12 grand a year for health insurance coverage (for a family) with some magical number of $5800, still $800 over what our "credit" would be and strikingly similar to the CURRENT pre tax dollar allowance permitted under Health Savings Plans. In fact, with his argument about the Cadillac of health insurance plans vs the Chevrolet of health insurance plans (guess which one he thinks is good enough for you) which was first put forth by someone else, McCain is actually going to do nothing with health care except say it's not the federal government's responsibility ...he will promote health savings plans, that defective model that has gained popularity as "the only health insurance people can afford". He just has neither the courage to disclose this to the American people nor the honesty to confess that he will do nothing for health care. The hypocrisy factor is also pretty bad since multi-millionaire McCain hasn't declined to milk his own VA benefits and Federal employee benefits when it comes to his own health. Nice cadillac.
Thank you Obama for finally pointing out that the "state lines" concept allowing individuals to "shop" for insurance throughout states does not address all those people who will be dropped from insurance eligibility because of annoying things like chronic conditions, pre-existing conditions, or health risks, you know...the only reason that we buy health insurance to begin with, to cover the risk of needing medical care.
I would have also like to have seen McCain's ridiculous claim that allowing individuals to shop around for insurance would be susceptible to the same problems we already have such as:
Does anyone think that Cigna operates in one state? Or BC/BS? Or any other of the monstrous health insurance companies? Health insurance companies already have the right to gain approval to sell their insurance in different states...approvals are not always given for little reasons like: Insufficient providers available in a given state or unhealthiness of the insurance company itself. Would McCain do away with State government rights to deny licensing to conduct business by certain insurance companies? Taking away STATE rights? Can hardly call yourself a "Federalist."
Thank you Obama for explaining that GROUP health insurance is the reason that health insurance costs were ever able to be kept low and that by creating a larger group of people who can participate in obtaining federal style benefits that premiums will be lower. Group health insurance was created by the MARKETPLACE which grouped those with the need for health insurance and traded the supply of a group, a large number of subscribers with a discount on the purchase of health insurance. The uninformed notion that an individual can obtain affordable health insurance, the best deal, on his own is not only disproven by the current health insurance environment but is not logical: When you go to the amusement park, people can get a "group" discount, why? Because smart businesses know that lowering the cost to attract higher numbers more than pays for itself. McCain, that little closet group participant as a veteran and a federal employee knows this but doesn't want to insist on the same benefit for others.
If nothing else, McCain has proven himself a hypocrite as all of the claims of "free market" about health insurance prove its advocates. There is no free market, there are piles of legislation and provisions protecting insurance companies and their profits. There are piles of claims forms being filed for the governmental benefits available to REPUBLICAN representatives because they know it is the best health insurance available. They don't want to rock the boat because they have theirs. Otherwise, why the hypocrisy? Why aren't only democrats taking advantage of government benefits? The only time the tattered mantra of the free market is pedaled out like the original Betsy Ross flag is when it comes to protecting citizens.
The only worrisome part of Obama is that he has shifted his conversation placement of priorities to include energy as number one in the last two debates. Last night, he actually omitted including health care/insurance as a priority during one of his lists. This will be disastrous. Health care/insurance should remain in the forefront until there is legislation passed as quickly as the bailout plan that at least begins to address the financial crisis that has been caused by greedy insurance companies seeking to cover zero risk for premium dollars and greedy health services providers who pump up bills and justify it as "defensive" medicine, and whose salaries for their services keep rising, and greedy health care facilities that makeup every non-paying patients fees by charging more to the insured. I only hope Obama doesn't do the easy thing, energy legislation because it avoids conflict...I mean who could argue against not wanting to be dependent on foreign oil? But the price of gas is less a threat to our nation than the cost of health insurance and health care that leaves millions of Americans without access to even the most basic health care.
