If you have ever been sick or needed medical care, then you know why health care is important.  The problem is that a growing number of Americans cannot get the vital health care that they need.  The upcoming presidential election might provide an opportunity for us to improve health care in America, so more people can get the treatment they desperately need.

How can we improve health care?

Barack Obama and John McCain each have plans to address the current health care issues in America.  But are either of these plans realistic?  Will the 47 million people without health care be covered?  These are questions that must be answered if we want to improve our health care system.  Taking a closer look at each candidate’s proposed health care plan gives us insight into what is possible.

Obama’s Plans for Health Care

Obama wants to set up a new national health care plan, and make it available to all Americans.  He claims that the plan will be affordable and provide coverage similar to the plans currently available for Congress.  Another key feature of his plan includes guaranteed eligibility for everyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

Obama also plans to set up a National Health Insurance Exchange Group, which would basically take some of the power away from private health insurance companies by forcing them to charge fair and stable premiums.  This group would also require health insurance companies to provide coverage to every applicant, instead of refusing to give an individual a policy.

Another key part of Obama’s health care plan involves lowering health care costs by increasing competition in the insurance and drug markets.  He also wants to prevent companies from abusing their monopoly through unjustified price increases.  This sounds like a very good idea.

Click here to learn more about Obama’s health care plan

McCain’s Plan for Health Care

McCain believes the key to a great health care system involves restoring control to the patients themselves.  But how does he plan to restore control to the patients?  First off, he aims to use competition to increase the quality of health insurance.  Right now a select few health insurance companies have the monopoly, and control the health insurance market as a result.  Creating more competition might help to break up the monopoly.

Another important part of his health care plan involves insuring the previously uninsurable.  Right now it can be very difficult for someone with pre-existing health conditions to get good health insurance.  McCain aims to fix this problem by establishing a Guaranteed Access Plan, which would help people with pre-existing conditions get the coverage they need.  One approach to this plan could involve establishing a non-profit corporation to contract with insurers, to get these people the coverage they need.

McCain’s plan for lowering health care costs involves opening up competition in the drug markets.  He also plans to reduce health care costs by focusing on the prevention and early treatment of chronic disease, while also improving the care for chronic disease.  This is a very good idea.  McCain has also thought of developing a strategy for dealing with growing need of long-term health care, as the baby boomers are getting ready to retire.  Another very important point to consider.

Click here to learn more about McCain’s health care plan

Which Plan is Better?

So which plan is better for the future of health care in America?  The simplicity of Obama’s plan is appealing: a new national health care plan that is available to all Americans.  It sounds good, but how will putting this plan into motion affect our current economic situation?  Will our taxes increase?

McCain is aware of the challenge of providing long-term health care to a growing number patients.  This seems to be an important consideration, given the fact that the baby boomers are starting to retire.  But what about McCain’s Guaranteed Access Plan?  Will it really work?  It seems like a lot of cooperation will have to take place for the Guaranteed Access Plan to work.

In the end Obama’s plan might be a bit riskier to implement, but also might really simplify health care for everyone in the long-term.  McCain’s plan for health care seems a bit less risky, but does it have the horsepower to solve our current health care problems?  In the end you must decide.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 pm and is filed under Health Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.