Sizing up the presidential candidates' health plans

Since health care is on top of the political agenda in this year's elections, it would be good to look at the proposals of Barack Obama and John McCain on how to solve the current health issue.

Barack Obama's plan is more government oriented and the centerpiece of his plan is to start a health program which would cater mainly to people who are uninsured. He also wants to give poor people subsidies in order that would help them secure insurance policies. Obama's plan also involves requiring businesses to offer health insurance or else put a tax on them, which would fund insurance for those who do not have it. Lastly, he would require that children be insured, contenidng that it is cheaper to insure them than adults.

Now let's take a look at John McCain. To be sure, John Mccain's plan relies on the strength of the market. The centerpiece of his plan is to provide a refundable tax credit to families (for $5000) and individuals (for $2500) to allow them to purchase insurance policies in the private sector. He would also work with governors to set-up a "high risk insurance pool" for people who ahve pre-existing conditions. Finally, he also plans to deregulate the insurance markets.

So which one better? Well, fundamentally I agree with john McCain that our health care crisis can be solved by the free market. However, I would still refuse to put my endorsement on him because his plan misses out on some key components that would make it work properly. These things include abolishing the FDA, pullin the plug on costly government health progams such as Medicare and Medicaid, and ending mandates on employers to provide health insurance to their employees. All of these things drive up the costs for individual consumers and unless McCai pays attention to these things, his plan will not work. His tax credits will only truly help people if costs go down and the only way to do this is to eliminate third party insurance payers such as the government (who currently pays for 50% of the nations health care expenses) To McCain's credit, however, I do agree that we should have a high risk insurance pool that would end discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions.

Obama's plan to expand government health care, while flowery and politically sound, but I believe it is counterproductive and unwise at a time when we are already mired in soaring deficits and fianancial meltdowns.

ORIGINAL PHOTO and ARTICLE: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-candidates-healthcare-intro13-2008oct13,0,7066440.story

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