May 08, 2008

Candidates' Health Plans


Senator Obama's $65 billion-a-year plan makes insurance mandatory, but only for children. He wants family plans to cover kids up to age 25, and would create a national health insurance exchange to offer a range of plans and prices to small businesses and the uninsured. "If you change jobs, your insurance will go with you," Obama said. Obama would stop tax cuts for people making over $250,000 to pay for his plan.

Sen. Hillary Clinton wants mandatory health insurance for everyone. Her $110 billon-a-year plan would offer everyone the chance to purchase insurance, and a range of plans and prices to choose from. "It is not a government takeover of health care," Clinton said. "It is a public-private partnership that provides more choices." Insurers could not charge higher rates to people with health problems. Clinton would tax employer-paid health benefits for people making more than $250,000 a year. cbs2chicago.com - Clinton, Obama Health Care Plan Comparisons

McCain calls for:
Allowing people to buy health insurance nationwide instead of limiting them to in-state companies.
Permitting people to buy insurance through any organization or association they choose as well as through their employers or buying direct from an insurance company.
Providing tax credits of $2,500 to individuals and $5,000 to families as an incentive to buy health coverage.
Allowing veterans to use whatever provider they want, wherever they want by giving them an electronic health care card or through another method.
Supporting different methods of delivering care, including walk-in clinics in retail outlets across the country.
Developing routes for cheaper generic versions of drugs to enter the U.S. market, including allowing for safe importation of drugs.
Revamping Medicare payment systems to pay providers for diagnosis, prevention and care coordination without paying them for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.
McCain health plan aims to give options - John McCain News- msnbc.com