McCain says he’ll give each family, or is it each person, $5000 to shop for his own health insurance.

I defy anyone with average intelligence to shop for health insurance and really know what he’s getting. Imagine what people who can barely read would have to go through in order to spend the 5000 bucks wisely on health insurance. McCain would have to set up a special branch of government to aid and advise people.

AND, how far does $5000 go when it comes to buying health insurance, I wonder?

Geo

I wouldn’t call health care “govt. cheese”.

You can sure tell who has not bought health insurance in a while can’t you ?

Those unable to make this decision, like some here, can do so as they do now, and stay with the plan offered by their employer.

$5K ? Looking at the pay stub I got today, a pretty long way…

“The poor and the underprevileged probably wouldn’t even
know where to find the necessessary info. Doubt very much that most of them have computers; doubt very much that most of them read the daily papers; some might not even literate. It happens, you know.”

and exactly how does any of this change under Obama’s plan ?

It’s actually worse with Obama’s, if any of the above have kids, they may be subject to a fine.

Sorry Lovisa, but I am not responsible for what you do, or do not know..

5) REQUIRE COVERAGE OF CHILDREN. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will require that all children have health care coverage.

There once was a plumber named Joe,

Who asked about keeping his dough,

BO ran his mouth,

and his numbers went south,

now Barack ain’t winnin’ no mo’

**sent by a friend**

Yes, Lovisa, Obama is going to require parents to provide insurance for their children or FINE them. Insurance for children is one of his priorities.And employers will be mandated to provide insurance to employees, or be fined.

Obama wants to magically reduce the cost of health care, and set up a big government insurance program that people can buy into—everyone would like to reduce the cost of health care, but Obama has no plan (other than to put records on the internet) just platitudes.. his idea of reducing the cost of health care is more likely than not telling doctors what they can charge. My former OB/GYN used to deliver babies, but stopped because the insurance companies did not pay him but $1800 per delivery, and that did not cover his costs. So he just stopped. When the gov’t mandates how much doctors can charge, then next step is government employed doctors… Right now there is a huge controversy about Lyme disease here in Loudoun, and most insurance companies will not pay for many of the diagnostic tests (cost $1500) that some doctors who specialize in Lyme think are necessary–the CDC has set standards, that insurance companies follow, and doctors are trying to get that changed. In the mean time, people who cannot afford to pay out of pocket for those tests continue to suffer… Free choice of doctors is very important.

Like Joe the Plumber says, we need to get Obama to show us the fine print, on taxes, and on health care…

great post cmac, thanks !

SP, you’re a day late, and a dollar short aren’t you ? I was reading that this has already been debunked.

The Internet is a big place, you can’t just stop reading when you find what appeals to you..

Joe the Plumber voted in the priamries, what changed in OH since then – VOTER FRAUD by chance??????

oh, yea, I just sent en email to the Obama camp to ask the question :

” When’s he going to decide that $100,000 is too much, you know?”

Insuring ever child is a noble cause but I don’t remember having health insurance when I was a kid. I either went to the doctor for stitches or a mandated shot. The runny nose, rash, fever, cough, sneeze, etc. were all taken care of at home. It must have worked because I am still alive. Just having health insurance is enough of a case to abuse it. When that happens, the costs go up for all. Maybe just health insurance for emergencies only. The rest of the time, the parent can look it up on web-md.

Lovisa,

My goodness, average people don’t know what they are doing? I have a lot more confidence in the average American, and I believe they can figure out what health insurance they can afford and will best suit their family’s needs without a government agent saying: “we’re from the government, we’re here to help.”

Just how many people do you think “can barely read” who won’t have anyone to help them?

As to how far $5000 dollars would go? That depends on what you buy. If you are young, healthy and only need to insure against large health care problems (perhaps a $5000 deductable policy) then you probably won’t need to pay much at all.

The real issue is that everywhere the government steps in, that area breaks. The economy is a prime example where the government steps in, forces non-market conditions, and the economy broke (thanks Dunn and Obama, you really did your job in regulating Fannie and Freddie).

The government can’t do things always best. The government is not better at solving problems (and shouldn’t be trying to solve problems) of individual families than those families are. There may be a *very* small population that needs someone to help them, but that is not the governments job.

ACTivist, you obviously do not have children. The schools want to see medical records, and there are required well baby checkups, every few weeks and then months as an infant, then once a year as the child gets older, and of course you cannot go to school without yearly proof of health and vaccinations. Right now, low income folks can get free care in Loudoun at our dept of health for their children. And we have been overwhelmed by illegal immigrants, who our health dept and hospitals serve, even if they cannot pay. Obama wants to force all families to purchase health insurance for children, because he says emergency room care (that is provided free to people without insurance) costs each person with insurance another $900/year. He wants to mandate everyone to have insurance for children. If you are employed by a “large” business, Obama wants that business to pay for the employee anyway. If you are employed by a small business, that business, according to what Obama said last night in the debate (something new) is exempt from providing insurance. If your employer does not provide the insurance, or if you are unemployed you must purchase it for your children, and he wants to make it less expensive to purchase…that is his plan. All children will be required to have the well baby and child check-ups.

ACTivist

You sound about my age, because we didn’t have health insurance when I was a kid; didn’t know the word.

Everybody got smallpox vaccination before starting elementary school. There were no other vaccines. (you can tell what vintage a person is if he has the “scar” of that shot)

IF you went to the doctor; he checked ears, throat, heartbeat, listened to lungs, hit your knee for reflex action and that was about it. But you went only if you were really, really sick. There was no anti-biotics, as I recall.

Look at all the vaccines kids are being shot up with these days, and they MUST have them in order to attend school. Every fall we read about schools trying to round up students for their annual immunization program. I’m all for it. No measles, mumps, whooping cough, etc. and most of all POLIO, the most dreaded decease until Salk and Sabin. My brother was one of the victims.

Medical expenses for children are high, but IMO, its in everyone’s interest to see that that they are getting the basics, no matter what.

I had health insurance when I was a kid — the U.S. Navy Doctors. My mom usually took us to civilian doctors and paid out-of-pocket. Now, the socialists/leftists want ALL of our hospitals to be the caliber of Walter Reed.

Speaking of health care, here’s a federal bailout that has gotten zero media attention :

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/01/mass_gets_106b_for_healthcare_insurance/

This is the same general plan as Obamacare, and it is not working absent federal subsidies.

Btw, no insurance ? pay a fine..

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-03-mass-healthcare_N.htm

Sally,
What are you going on about? I have 2 grown kids and grandkids. I know that the (state)schools require so much more than when I was a child. Did you not read my statement about “stitches or a mandated shot”? And, of course later on, SOS (you do know what that is, don’t you). We were required in SCHOOL to strip once a year for mandated health inspections and check-ups. I still remember that embarrassment (because I was unusually large in proportion ) the boys would make fun of me but the girls were really tickled! My dad was a career Naval officer and, like Jack, we went to civilian doctors for most all our needs. States may have some differences in their proceedures but they never got real anal till my kids went to school. And we STILL don’t have mandatory delousing!

Sorry, Lovisa and ACTivist, I did not read your posts well enough.

Yes, the schools do require quite a bit these days. I just heard on the news that there is controversy about one public school system requiring flu shots. If you have looked at the cost of these vaccines, they are very expensive, some cost hundreds of dollars…you can easily spend $1000 per child each year on yearly required health check ups and vaccines (without insurance.) One thing the Govt’ could probably do cheaper– buy these vaccines in bulk, guarantee the drug companies against liability. It is the liability from lawsuits that has made the cost of drugs skyrocket, in part.

Obama is not specific in saying how he will pay for anything, or who will pay, except that big business must provide insurance for its employees, and parents must insure their children, or be fined. Many employers now offer an employee a choice: higher pay or more comprehensive health insurance. Some employees choose to have their spouse buy a family plan, so they would rather have more pay and no insurance through their company.

I think John McCain’s plan makes more sense, in that it offers the most flexibility for people to choose and to get what they think they need. If the $5,000 credit is for an individual, would a couple get $10,000? I think the government may be able to take some steps to help reduce medical costs (maybe they should insure doctors and lower the price that way, instead of having them face the ever escalating costs of their own malpractice insurance) but I do not think that Obama’s plan of fining /mandating employers and parents is the right way to go. Will we be reporting them to child protective services if they miss a check up, or a vaccine? if they are obese?

I know there are a lot of problems, and the uninsured are bankrupting our public hospitals, but I don’t like the national idea–i think competition is better, and people should be allowed to choose their doctors, question their treatment, and change doctors if they want.