McCain's Health Care Proposal

I knew McCain would eventually get around to proposing a health care program. I like his program because it mostly leaves everything the same but allows a tax credit. In other words, I like it because there is little chance that it makes the system worse. However in this article it does mention one area where he disagrees with President Bush, importing cheaper prescription drugs from Mexico and Canada. I agree with McCain on this issue because it actually does something about the COST of health care. I think the cost of prescription drugs could be dealt with more dramatically if you put limits on patents or advertising. But a program like that would run into major opposition from the pharma lobby. McCain's stance on importing medicine from other countries will already be difficult for them to swallow. Maybe his idea of small steps is better than nothing. Enjoy the article.

By Perry Bacon, Jr.

Setting a different course from both the Democrats and his fellow Republicans on health care, Arizona Senator John McCain will propose offering tax credits of up to $5,000 for all U.S. families that get health insurance in a speech in Des Moines tomorrow.

His proposal, while more comprehensive than what the other GOP candidates have offered, does not create universal health coverage or mandate that everyone buy insurance. Those are elements of plans that Sen. Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina senator John Edwards have introduced in this campaign and similar to a plan Mitt Romney adopted as governor of Massachusetts.

"In health care, we believe in enhancing the freedom of individuals to receive necessary and desired care," McCain will say, according to speech excepts provided by his staff. "We do not believe in coercion and the use of state power to mandate care, coverage or costs."

One of McCain's biggest focuses is on reducing costs. He distances himself from the Bush administration by calling for large-scale re-importation of prescription drugs from abroad, which the White House has long opposed on the grounds that the U.S. cannot guarantee the safety of such drugs. The tax credits from McCain also differ from the proposals offered by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who would allow people to exclude up to $15,000 of their income if it was spent on health care. In the Giuliani proposal, unlike McCain's, the size of the tax credit depends on income and would be smaller for people who pay little or no income taxes. McCain would offer a $2500 tax credit for individuals.

Continue reading the article here.