Okay, so we’ve been over the plans for healthcare on the Democratic side of the fight for President. Now it’s time to switch gears and reveal that of Republican President Candidate John McCain. According to a website supporting the election of John McCain, the main concern of McCain is to restore the control of healthcare to the patients. He believes that healthcare should be available to everyone regardless of where they are employed or their amount of income.
McCain plans to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance. To do this he plans to develop a greater variety of plans that will better match the needs of America in accordance with price and portability.
He also plans to include plans that offer coverage outside of the individual’s employer. In addition to being able to purchase employer-based coverage, people will also be able to receive a direct refundable tax credit. The refund will be $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families. This will help to offset the cost of insurance. Families will have the ability to choose an insurance provider that best serves their needs. Those obtaining an insurance plan that costs less than the credit will be able to deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.
With making insurance plans more portable families will be able to move from job to job, even take an extended amount of time off work and still maintain the same health coverage.
McCain believes that when families are better aware of their choices as far as medical care goes they are more capable of making their own decisions. This allows them to decide against unnecessary treatment which would cause them more money. He will encourage the use of and expand the benefits of Health Savings Accounts. These HSA’s are very important for allowing families to take charge of what they pay for as far as healthcare is concerned.
It’s nothing new that those with pre-existing conditions have more difficulty purchasing affordable healthcare plans. He plans to develop policies that will ensure these individuals receive high-quality care.
McCain is also planning to institute a Guaranteed Access Plan (GAP) that would ensure patient access to healthcare. One reason he believes this program will be effective is that he plans to develop a non-profit organization that require a contract with insurers that will cover patients who have been denied insurance. Some positive aspects of this plan would include reasonable limits on premiums as well as assistance with cost for individuals that fall below a certain income level.
McCain has developed a set of initiatives that he believes will help to lower the cost of healthcare for American’s. He plans on lowering drug prices by instituting a higher usage of generic drugs. He also believes that by emphasizing the importance of preventative care, early intervention, healthy habits, new treatment models, new public health infrastructure as well as the use of information technology we can lower the cost for chronic disease care.
He plans to increase the use of technology in healthcare. He believes this will also help cut the costs the care provided.
As for programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, he believes that these programs should compensate providers for diagnosis, prevention and care coordination. He also believes that these programs shouldn’t pay for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.
A part of the plan that I found interesting was his plan to promote smokers to cease from their habit. This unique part of his plan encourages businesses and insurance providers to offer smoking cessation programs to their customers and employers. He believes this will help to improve the quality of life for American’s as well as decreasing the risk of chronic diseases associated with smoking.
As far as medical liability goes, he plans to pass a reform that will eliminate lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols. He believes that all patients should have the right to legal representation in the event that they receive bad treatment, however he doesn’t believe people should take advantage of it.
There are a few more incentives in his plan for healthcare in America; however, I have only touched on the main points. I believe that parts of his plan are strong and offer some positive aspects for people in America. I am very supportive of the fact that he has plans for portable healthcare plans. There are several people that I know personally who tend to change jobs quite often. Under McCain’s plan they will be able to take the same health insurance with them from job to job. This, in my opinion, could have a very positive outcome. There were also some points of weakness in my opinion. For example, he really didn’t touch on anything that completely focused on healthcare for children. I don’t believe he has developed a strong enough plan that will help to support healthcare for children in America.
Another aspect that I don’t believe McCain has touched on quite enough is healthcare being offered by small businesses. At the moment I work for a small family restaurant that doesn’t offer medical insurance or any other type of help with medical bills. It would really be helpful if they did. It is my opinion that McCain needs to develop a better plan that will cover those who work for the smaller businesses in America.
So, that pretty much wraps up the plans of the Presidential candidates as of now. What will actually happen in America as far as healthcare goes is still a mystery that will hopefully be solved soon after the new President takes office. Each of the candidates has developed certain plans that have some very strong incentives and positive aspects. However, they all have their weaknesses as well. It’s up to you to decide what is important and what’s not when it comes to healthcare.
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