McCain Calls For Health Care Tax Credit

GOP Candidate's Plan Entails Shift Away From Employer Programs Towards Open Market

(AP)  Republican presidential candidate John McCain wants health insurance companies to compete for your business on the open market.

He would offer families a $5,000 tax credit to help buy insurance policies.

"Millions of Americans would be making their own health care choices again," McCain said in remarks prepared for delivery Tuesday at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa.

"Insurance companies could no longer take your business for granted, offering narrow plans with escalating costs," he said. "It would help change the whole dynamic of the current system, putting individuals and families back in charge, and forcing companies to respond with better service at lower cost."

His campaign called the speech a major policy address, though McCain has talked about the same ideas for several months. What's new, according to adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin, is that McCain will give more examples of how his policies would work.

Still missing: The total cost of the plan and an estimate of how many people it would help. There are more than 40 million people in the United States who don't have health insurance.

"So, a little more detail, but remember, it is April, and the election's in November, so not everything will happen tomorrow or this week," Holtz-Eakin told reporters Monday.

Under McCain's plan, anyone could get the credit, and those who like their company health care plan could choose to stay in it. The credit would be available as a rebate to people at lower income levels who have no tax liability, Holtz-Eakin said.

To pay for the tax credit, McCain would eliminate the tax exemption for people whose employers pay a portion of their coverage, raising an estimated $3.6 trillion in revenues, Holtz-Eakin said. Companies that provide coverage to workers still would get tax breaks. McCain would also cut costs by limiting health care lawsuits.

The goal is to move the health care industry away from job-based coverage toward competition among health insurance companies on the open market.

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Candidates' Health Care Proposals
WebMD Details The Health Care Proposals Of The Presidential Candidates

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"No one should believe that John McCain is of the opinion that the current individual market is a great place to go shopping for insurance; it's not," Holtz-Eakin said.

Critics of McCain's approach say it could leave sicker or older people without coverage; McCain's campaign says there would be a safety net to protect high-risk people.

Some Democrats weren't buying it. McCain drew criticism Monday from Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards.

"John McCain's health care program works very well, if you happen to be rich and healthy," said Edwards, now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a Democratic-leaning group.

McCain also would let people buy health insurance across state lines instead of limiting them to companies in their own states. He said companies that do business in multiple states have greatly reduced health care costs because they are able to offer policies in many states.

Democrats worry about this idea because it could exempt insurers from stricter state regulations, such as requiring coverage of mammograms.

McCain issued his own criticism of Democratic plans for health care, saying Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton want government-run health care because they seek mandatory health care coverage, Obama for children and Clinton for everyone.

"They want government to make the decision," McCain, who opposes mandates, said Monday at Miami Children's Hospital. "I want the family to make the decision as to what kind of health care they want for their children."

[obamaslady]

Lucky for McSame that he also receives the very best "free" health coverage from our Government! So of course why would you expect him to say anything other than " . . said the 47 million uninsured Americans will get coverage only when they are freed from the shackles of the current employer-dominated system . .'' How does he expect Americans to free themselves from an employer dominated system when they have to work and can aquire coverage for less money than if they purchased outside their employers group? HOW IGNORANT MCSAME AND SHRUB HAVE BEEN and HOW UNCARING as EVIDENCED by their ACTIONS and STUPID IDEAS about us! If someone gave $5,000 to McSame he would throw it back in their face; so what does he expect that amount of money is really going to do for any of us? Nothing! God help us all PLEASE!!!

[dante805]

Makes real sense to me. The majority of working Americans should love this plan. And those uninsured get a tax deduction to essentially buy a PLAN of THEIR choice. Not Obama''s or Hillary''s FORCED choosing of a great GOVT run plan. Why would anyone want a GOVT plan when Medicare, Medicade and Social Security GOVT plans are bankrupt.

[sgtrds]

I am retired Federal and am covered under FEHBP.
There is no reason this program can not be used to cover everyone in the US. You pay a monthly premium and YOU pick the type of coverage you want.

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/

Posted by IOWEIGN at 10:18 PM : Apr 29, 2008

I''m covered under my wife''s government plan (L.A. County) and they pay her a premium in her paycheck and then allow her to choose from several plans and take the money out of the premium, with the remainder as part of her pay. That way we can choose the plan that fits us best. the truth is that there are many creative ways to provide health care coverage for everyone. Some of them based on the Medicare model for some people and others based on the military model or government employee models. Different people require different services and require different ways to be protected. As long as everyone gets the health care they need then that''s what counts. Detractors always decry every proposal as not being perfect and in a sense they''re right. Not every proposal is right for every person, but they all better then doing nothing at all and having 42 million people, many of them children, unprotected.

[ioweign]

Life in McCain-land. A burglar is breaking into your house, so you call the police, but get told that "Hey, you should have used that tax credit thingy to buy yourself police protection." Or your house is on fire and the fire department says "What? You didn''''t buy fire protection with that tax credit? Too bad because you''re not covered!"

Health-care is a right and it''s the duty of the government to provide it just like police services, fire protection, good roads, etc.

Posted by SgtRDS at 05:26 PM : Apr 29, 2008

Randy

I am retired Federal and am covered under FEHBP.
There is no reason this program can not be used to cover everyone in the US. You pay a monthly premium and YOU pick the type of coverage you want.

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/

[kansas1946]

He would offer families a $5,000 tax credit to help buy insurance policies.

"Millions of Americans would be making their own health care choices again," McCain said in remarks prepared for delivery Tuesday at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa.
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I have heard some dumb ideas, but this one takes the cake. Good God, John, you are smarter than that. Could you just for a minute quit playing suck-up to the far-right and get real.

[sgtrds]

Some government run programs for health care are terrible, but the worst part about them is they give ammunition to those who want no government run health care at all. The truth is that the government has an excellent health care system in place for active duty military personnel around the world. So it''s not that the government is unable to run an excellent health care system (since they already do one) it''s that they lack the will to make it happen.

[samthetvcat]

---"The goal is to move the health care industry away from job-based coverage toward competition among health insurance companies on the open market."---

At least now they''re admitting the tax incentive shift would result ppl losing coverage from work. But notice how they don''t admit that it''s estimated that 164 million people would lose their coverage, with 23million STILL not being able to afford the coverage themselves . . . that would increase the number of uninsured to what, 70-75million?

Nobody could realistically believe that individuals would have the bargaining power to drive down prices when corporations have collective bargaining power to demand discounts. Isn''t the chief goal of McCain''s plan to let businesses off the hook for providing health care so that profits will increase and therefore (hopefully) the economy will grow and therefore (hopefully) the number of uninsured will be reduced?

Free trade was supposed to achieve the same goal. The problem with privatization of healthcare is that as a life necessity if McDork guesses wrong, the government ends up footing the bill - ultimately, it looks like his plan is just more welfare for the rich . . .

[sgtrds]

Life in McCain-land. A burglar is breaking into your house, so you call the police, but get told that "Hey, you should have used that tax credit thingy to buy yourself police protection." Or your house is on fire and the fire department says "What? You didn''t buy fire protection with that tax credit? Too bad because you''re not covered!"

Health-care is a right and it''s the duty of the government to provide it just like police services, fire protection, good roads, etc.

[sgtrds]

The US is the only industrialized Western nation that doesn''t have universal health care for all of it''s citizens, much to our shame. Health care is a RIGHT, not a privilege.

[ioweign]

In other words, if you want to purchase your own health care and take it with you whereever you go, you can. In other words, why should elderly people be made to buy insurance that incorporates maternity leave? In other words, it takes the Government out of your healthcare business and encourages free market competition where the people are in charge of their healthcare not Big Titty Nanny Government.

Posted by mudrose at 11:09 AM : Apr 29, 2008

In other words, nothing has changed. If an employer can not afford to buy health care for its employees and use it as a tax credit - how will the employee be able to purchase it. If an elderly couple has maternity coverage on their policy then the insurance company is money ahead and doesn''t have to worry about that expense.

[liar-clinton]

Obama gets big Kentucky endorsement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. | Kentucky bigwig Ben Chandler, a new U.S. rep and grandson of a former governor, will endorse Barack Obama today, Obama%u2019s state campaign director said.

[antoniof123]

This man is truley an idiot the whole GOP would never go for this they will figure out a way to stick it to the middle class. 5,000 tax credit wow, he is brillant isn''t he. This man has no clue either too long on the public dole and no brain to show for it.

God neo cons are dumber than dirt. The only people this will help is those that are rich.

Gee thanks MaCain been there done that enough is enough.

[lewiston14]

reedtaz73" There are jobs just not in this country. Hows NAFTA doing so far

[lewiston14]

Bush had to kiss some serious booty to get $600 where are these 3 going to get $5000? These three have to be the three worst choices in modern times

[homespunlady]

Sorry, along with the once expected "financial Service" JOBS - like Bill collecting that were SUPPOSED to be the NEW American Economy; MAJOR profitable HEALTH CARE above "WalMart Clinic" level is BEING OUTSOURCED TO PLACES LIKE INDIA.

Turns out the HMOs have found 3rd world countries can do MAJOR OPERATIONS and treatments for about a TENTH of what it costs here in the US - AIRFARE AND 5 star hotel recovery INCLUDED!

Besides THOSE places CUT OUT the MALPRACTICE COSTS we have.

If all goes well even the PATIENTS like it as they can COMBINE an "exotic vacation" along WITH that kidney transplant (from some peasant that needed to feed his family or prisoner in China''s case)!

[reedtaz73]

How about better/more jobs and higher pay for blue colar workers and healthcare industries. I love to see deductions in my paycheck...I''ll take less please. What a buffoon. Guess he''s all out of war talks...for now.

[homespunlady]

Unlike certain 4 letter word ABUSERS - I DON''T "HATE" any of them - I find them ALL ABSURD and SELF-CENTERED!!!

NO ONE GENUINELY CARES ABOUT THE AVERAGE American citizen - with the "possible exception" of Congressman Ron Paul.

I find the POLITICAL NITPICKING and SMOKE AND MIRRORS PLAYGROUND POLITICS that is going on WHILE OUR NATION ECONOMICALLY crashes and BURNS to be a VERY SAD commentary on HOW LOW the QUALITY of our so-called "Presidential choices" has SUNK!

[homespunlady]

pboskovich MUCH SMARTER than you apparently.

I DON''T have to resort to lowlife 4 letter words and personal insults when someone points out something I DISAGREE WITH.

What? Rush Limbaugh''s OPERATION CHAOS plans to RIOT and get people KILLED at the DENVER CONVENTION going BADLY?

[pboskovich]

homespunlady

How f***ing stupid are you? Apparently your hate has left you witout any ability to reason or think critically. Get over it. Get some therapy.

[homespunlady]

zoe2006 DOESN''T MATTER ANYWAY - WHY NOT STICK TO THE GUY - he''s STILL RUNNING and has 4 million in the bank to do so.

Besides EVERYBODY KNOWS the ELECTRONIC VOTING machines can be RIGGED just like before and I SAW FIRSTHAND how the GOP MACHINE in this county "ARRANGED" things to skew the vote in their favor.

PUTS THE MAFIA TO SHAME!!!

POWER CORRUPTS - ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY.

I''d rather be the mouse defiantly giving the one-finger salute to the REPUBLICRAT VULTURES.