Quite a bit has been written about McCain's horribly flawed cash infusion into the health insurance industry health care plan. I am not an economist nor am I an expert on the health insurance industry. But I have read my health insurance policy and this is what I know.
I know how to talk to McCain supporters about his plan, or lack thereof, so that even my third grade niece could understand how laughable his plan is. I had a long conversation with my plumber on Friday about health care. It was very productive. What I said got him thinking about his vote.
If you need to talk with Joe Sixpack, lipsticked hockey Moms or just the "guys and gals", here are some tools you can use to get Obama's message across.
McCain's plan is nothing new. It is merely an infusion of cash into a system that is already broken and unregulated.
Throw them right back to his issue page on his health plan.
John McCain Will Reform Health Care Making It Easier For Individuals And Families To Obtain Insurance. An important part of his plan is to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match people's needs, lower prices, and portability. Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines.
This is exactly where we are today.
How will he make it easier for a family to get coverage? Will he be working with the health industry actuaries to reduce premiums? Will he commit to making the pre-existing condition clauses in health policies illegal?
Health policies can be purchased across state lines and nationwide....right now. Some simple searching on the internets will provide every family with all of the info they need to determine if McCain is going to do something progressive with health care, or, if he is still full of crap.
Play with this tool. Do some quoting for your family and let's see just how expensive health care really is for one family of four. Remember, your employer can get a better rate on your health insurance premium because your employer has more buying power. Here are my numbers for my family of four with no cigarette use. These numbers don't account for any pre-existing conditions that anyone in my family could have.
BlueDirect Plan B $475.00 per month
Celtic Basic PPO 80/20 $307.08 per month
Lovelace iPlan 70/30 $488.41 per month
Each plan is different. They have different coverage conditions, deductibles, copays and coinsurance. I'll breakdown the cheapest one for shits and giggles.
Office Visit for Primary Doctor - $25 co-pay
Office Visit for Specialist - $30 Copay for first 2 visits, then 20% Coinsurance after deductible
Coinsurance - 20% after deductible
Annual Deductible
Family:$15,000($5,000 per person, 3 persons maximum)
Annual Out-of-Pocket Limit
Family:$6,000($2,000 per person, 3 persons maximum)
Does not include deductible
With this plan, an average family of four, with no cigarette usage, will pay the following for health coverage for a calendar year:
Annual premium - $3,684.96
If this family is really healthy and rarely needs to go to the doctor they won't have to worry about their deductible kicking in for catastrophic treatment.
Catastrophic treatment? Broken legs, appendicitis, pregnancy and delivery, and, cancers would be examples of treatment that might kick the deductible into play. After the deductibles are used up (in this case it is $15,000.00 for my family) there will be additional charges called coinsurance. Each policy is different but most coinsurance means that the family will pay a percentage of the costs of the medical treatment received over and above the deductible.
So, let's add all of this up. If someone in my family breaks a leg and needs surgery to put the bone back under the skin, it will cost me $5,000 plus 20% of all costs over and above the deductible amount.
Already, with one broken leg and my annual premium my yearly health costs are at least $8684.96.
More from McCain's bag of lies:
John McCain Will Reform The Tax Code To Offer More Choices Beyond Employer-Based Health Insurance Coverage. While still having the option of employer-based coverage, every family will receive a direct refundable tax credit - effectively cash - of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of insurance. Families will be able to choose the insurance provider that suits them best and the money would be sent directly to the insurance provider. Those obtaining innovative insurance that costs less than the credit can deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.
More nonsense from this completely out of touch politician.
- Not every person has health insurance through their employer. Not every employer offers health insurance for their employees.
- A family will receive a "direct refundable tax credit" so that the family can go out and "find" health coverage. If they happen to find a poorly rated cheap health insurer they get to keep the money they don't spend!
- McCain's plan will tax the health benefits you now receive under the guise of a "direct refundable tax credit."
Good luck with all that!
And here is another doozy that isn't getting much publicity.
TORT REFORM: Passing Medical Liability Reform. We must pass medical liability reform that eliminates lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols. Every patient should have access to legal remedies in cases of bad medical practice but that should not be an invitation to endless, frivolous lawsuits.
Bad doctors get a "get out of jail free" card with his plan. He wants to eliminate lawsuits "directed at doctors who follow clinical quidelines and adhere to safety protocols." Absolutely no accountability for the doctor that is reckless in the examing room and the operating room.
And it won't be long before McCain starts touting legislation that will eliminate lawsuits against health insurance carriers who decline medical treatment for their insureds.
I find it isn't helpful to delve on much more when it comes to talking about the difference in Obama's plan and McCain's farse.
Talk about money. Their wallets. Their savings accounts. Make them understand that not one family in this country will be able to get health insurance for $5000.00.
It will cost them more...much more.