Monday
Jul282008
McCain has a “radical” healthcare plan
ABC News political analyst Cokie Roberts spoke today about health care on the campaign trail at a convention on clinical chemistry among healthcare professionals. Roberts said the American people are going to see a “robust” debate on health care for the presidential campaigns, and that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has a more “radical” healthcare plan then Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
Roberts said that John McCain’s plan to get away from employer based healthcare plans and put families on individual plans is “radical.” While this plan frees up tax money and may create an open market for lower insurance rates, a Democratically held Congress will not approve it and public opinion is that individually based health care will be much harder financially, she said.
However, Obama’s patchwork healthcare plan is much more plausible, Roberts said. Smaller changes will work better and get through Congress faster then a large overall change, and universal healthcare won’t happen anytime soon.
Voters want something done about healthcare, but they aren’t sure exactly what they want, Roberts said. There is a very significant number of people who make less then $30,000 a year who can barely make their medical insurance payments, if they speak up and demand change then healthcare will become an important part of the campaigns.
Roberts said that John McCain’s plan to get away from employer based healthcare plans and put families on individual plans is “radical.” While this plan frees up tax money and may create an open market for lower insurance rates, a Democratically held Congress will not approve it and public opinion is that individually based health care will be much harder financially, she said.
However, Obama’s patchwork healthcare plan is much more plausible, Roberts said. Smaller changes will work better and get through Congress faster then a large overall change, and universal healthcare won’t happen anytime soon.
Voters want something done about healthcare, but they aren’t sure exactly what they want, Roberts said. There is a very significant number of people who make less then $30,000 a year who can barely make their medical insurance payments, if they speak up and demand change then healthcare will become an important part of the campaigns.
tagged 
Barack Obama, Congress, cancer, healthcare, john mccain in News/Commentary
Barack Obama, Congress, cancer, healthcare, john mccain in News/Commentary
Reader Comments (1)
Too much profit to be made for either side of the aisle to offer up anything other than plans that are designed to fail. Both parties will just shrug their shoulders and go back to business as usual. Just another election year straw dog.
They won't give us what we need until we get off our collective backsides, grow a spine, and demand it from them. If the country was to shut down for a day, as in general strike, they just might listen.
But a general strike is even less likely than an "American National Health Care System". Congress knows this... The candidates know this as well. Only the public dreams of progress with no effort or sacrifice.