McCain Health Care Plan Better for Consumer
Individuals seeking healthcare have been restricted in the past to insurers within their own state. John McCain’s plan will give the individual the same advantage as employer-sponsored plans have enjoyed, intrastate health care purchasing options.
A recent kerfuffle between Mr. Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain concerned the interstate purchase of health insurance. Mr. McCain wants to allow people to buy health insurance across state lines. Mr. Obama, on the other hand, opposes the idea and seems to believe it would create an unsafe, unregulated health-insurance market.
Mr. McCain backs legislation sponsored by Arizona Rep. John Shadegg. Known as the Health Care Choice Act, it would allow individuals living in one state to purchase health insurance being sold to people living in other states. The policy would still have to meet the regulations of the state in which it is being sold, and would be subject to additional federal oversight.
In essence, the McCain plan would give the 18 million uninsured the same advantage and choices those covered by employee sponsored insurance coverage.
Barack Obama’s plan to cover uninsured Americans does not contain a free-market option relying instead on another attempt by Washington to micro-manage decision that should be left to the individual.
Mr. Obama opposes interstate sales for two reasons. First, he doesn’t believe a market can work in health insurance. He believes it is necessary for the government to look over everybody’s shoulder to make sure patients are getting the care and coverage the government thinks is appropriate at a price the government considers affordable.
Second, Mr. Obama likes benefit-rich policies that cover virtually everything, but are also very expensive. He wants people to have the types of health-insurance plans that the uninsured can’t afford. He will “solve” the affordability issue by imposing price controls and regulations on insurers and drug companies, and force taxpayers to subsidize the rest of the cost.
Again the choice is one of individual choice versus government control. The more individuals turn over control of their personal financial decisions to the federal bureacracy, the less they receive for their money.
