Entrepreneurs look to candidates for health-care reform
Both McCain and Obama promise health-care reform, but entrepreneurs should be wary of the prescriptions. What do you think of the plans?
From Deb, Lansdale, PA Get real people. Read the comments from Canada.
Socialized medicine does not work. I know 40 year old women who have had breast cancer and mastectomies and now has to wait years for reconstruction.
I am an former nurse and a small business owner who pays 100% of my employees insurance but the costs are getting ridiculous.
Neither plan is the answer – the only answer – lock a panel of health care, insurance and drug company experts in a room and dont let them out until they have a good solution. Some kind of task force like the 9/11 commssion. Keep the lobbyists out.
From Jim, Toronto Ontario The success of a country originates from every youth having excellent health and education opportunities. Although no system is perfect I'm proud to be from a country that has those priorities and I don't mind paying high taxes for that service.
From Anderson, Chico, CA Small business of 300 employees… maybe your ego is in trouble.
Why don't you loosen up your own purse-strings and give your 300 small business employees a better healthcare coverage.
Go Obama.
From Tom, St It would seem a no brainer as to which plan to choose as a small business owner. Obama's would cost me money out of my pocket to provide health care insurance. McCain's would put the burden on my employees, and if they could not afford it, oh well not my problem.
Fortunately, I am not that way…If I have to take less money home and eat out less, I will. Otherwise, my employees will feel no loyalty to stay working for me.
From Anonymous As a small business owner I am already taxed enough… I can't see Obama's plan working in my situation… If I could afford to provide health insurance I would be doing it!!!! I don't need the govt. telling me how to run my business.
From dave, winnipeg, canada I always wish the best for our closest friends and allies.
I don't know how people who live in a country without universal healthcare could believe that they know more about it than people who have it.
Demand better.
From J. A. Flanagan I've been uninsured for 5 years now. I had a great health plan provided by my employer prior to being injured on the job. After using the benefits for more than a year I was let go from my position, and now considered uninsurable by most health insurance standards. I'm for Senator Obama's plan primarily because it will abolish preexisting conditions, mandate minimum coverage as well subsidies for anyone earning 400% of the federal poverty levels.
I disagree with taxing business whether large or small. I feel over taxing companies will lead to them leaving our country, thus creating more unemployement in the long run.
I believe health care should be an individual choice not a business/employer choice. I approve of Senator Obama's choice to create a national regulator to ensure that private insurance plans are fairly priced and available to all and leave Medicade and existing employer health plans alone.
From Ray Mehan I have a small business with 300 employees.My wife& I worked hard for 15 years for other companies, saved our money and started our business 21 years ago. We worked hard all our life and have realized the American dream for which we are very gratful.
Based upon what our customers (which also includes Fedral Government)can pay us for our products and services, we only have so much money to pay for materials,wages,payroll Taxes, and fringe benifits. So, we have a cafeteria type plan which allows my employees to choose the benifits(upto the budgeted dollars) that best fit their situation. They can choose any one of the company offered plans,get other benifits (Dental, Disability etc or get pay in lieu of health benifit, if their spouse's employer provides a better solution. I do not understand how senator Obama's plan will help any small business or for that matter any employee who is currently employed.It can only increase our costs by the additional taxes to satisfy senator Obama's ego and by telling small business like us that if you have achieved the American dream by creating 300 jobs and a nest egg; go to hell or overseas with your capital,factories and key management people.
If some employers are unable to get health insurance because of their size I am sure their employees are demanding and receiving higher wages.So, if the Government want to do something let it allow an altrnative for a national health insurace( similar to medicare) and let the employee decide weather they want to pay for it by the tax credit provided by senator MCann's plan. I Burdening small businesses with additional taxes or regulation will undoubtedly result in loss of jobs and more deficiet.
From Kaddie,Brigham CityUt Health Care is huge. That is one of the biggest reasons I have stayed in my job. I have a good healthcare benefit which is partly provided by my employer. I pay for my child and it is with pre tax dollars. Mr Mccain's plan would do away with those pretax dollars and his 5000.00 whatever he calls it would not come close to providing the benefits I have.
We need to look closely at the real issue and that is uncontrolled costs and abuse. Another case of no regulation over costs and CEO compensation. Thanks
From Kaddie,Brigham CityUt I suppose my only question is why was she at an Emergency Room instead of her doctor's office. I work for a hospital and part of the problem is the abuse of the Emergency room for sore throats,headaches,etc that should be treated in a doctor's office. An ER is for "emergencies" and is expensive. Cost is a huge issue in health care and so is abuse of the ER. And unfortunately most of that abuse is by government funded Medicaid patients. Thanks
From Praying for Obama I am blessed to enjoy the benefits of health insurance provided by my job. I am a single mother of two and make 14.80 per/hr. My monthly payment is 160.00. After my bills are somewhat paid, under McCain's plan, I would not be able to afford health care for my family with a "$10,000" tax break. Dear Rich America; everyone's not rich!
P.S. If you tax the insurance companies and make me buy my own insurance, I feel like someone is planning my death.
From Stephanie, Naperville IL Our family has to buy private health insurance and we currently use an HSA plan. Now one of our children has a developed a "pre existing condition" and unable to "shop" for new health insurance. We are completely at the mercy of our current health insurance provider. The fact is americans are far more likely to die from a health related issue than a terrorist so its time to use our money accordingly.
From Kris, Shenandoah Iowa The bailout is money that should be used to educate our children, provide health care and build infrastructure. America might as well forget any hope of health care reform with this bailout that is being considered. I can live without a loan for several years but I can't live without health care or an education for my children.
From Nancy Tatom, Punta Gorda Florida The big problem with McCain's "prescription" for health care is that it leaves people with pre-existing conditions at the mercy of insurance underwriters who may not cover pre-existing conditions or who may elect not to cover people at all. As the nation grows older, there are more people with pre-existing conditions. His solution is a no-win situation for millions of Americans, who will STILL find themselves uninsured.
From George, Atlanta, GA Neither one of them is perfect. McCain's depends on people having jobs that pay enough, and expenses that are low enough, that the $5,000 tax credit works. There are a LOT of $6-$10 per hour employees out there. Remember that only 21% of the population makes that "median household income" or more. The bottom 40% of the population makes much less than that. And they are the ones who don't have insurance. The people working blue-collar jobs making $14,000 to $20,000 a year with a family of 5 are the ones who don't have insurance. They don't pay $5,000 in income taxes in the first place.
And he assumes that the people have jobs. I'm betting that the real unemployment rate hits 10% by the end of the year and 15% sometime next year. That includes the people who have been out of work long enough that they are "discouraged", or whose unemployment benefits have run out, and are no longer counted in the official rate.
From Garret, Atlanta, GA Let me just give you a brief glimpse into government run healthcare:
1) Rationing – there isn't enough health care to go around right now. Think about seeing your loved ones ignored because they're either too costly and/or are not a good bet for the government in terms of survival. This happens in the UK and Canada, look it up.
2) An eventual tax rate that approaches 50% for those of us making above $100k. Again, look it up. The bill doesn't change just because the government takes it over.
3) The inability to make choices concerning your health care. The minute the government takes over say goodbye to any procedure that crosses the "cost" threshold. Choice has been taken away from you and given to a government worker.
When you take the free market out of the equation, waste soars and productivity decreases. The message does not need to be that the government will take care of your problems while you go eat, drink, and make whatever lifestyle decisions you desire because you know the rest of us will pay for it. The message needs to be get insurance right when you're 18!!! Stay in the system, if we can get younger people to understand this and buy cheap insurance relative to their age, the price will go down for the rest of us. I'm so tired of hearing people complain about not being able to get insurance. You chose to accept the risk and now you're sick! Should we pay for homeowners that didn't buy flood insurance? No!!! Its the same with individuals who choose to accept the risk of their own health care. I'm so tired of people clamoring for the government to bail out stupidity!!
Don't take the best health care in the world away from me and substiture it with mediocrity!!
Back to the health care plans of each candidiate, they're both useless but Obama's is definitely the lesser of two evils.
From Ed McClelland, Albuquerque, NM "McCain will take my existing employer provided health care insurance tax me for the portion my employer pays" Yes, that is true but why would you want it any other way, after all, your current health care benefit is being subsidized by the rest of us, even the poor. Now, you don't want to take a handout from the people do you?
From j,dayton,oh I have been looking at all comments and my thought after all is this.
McCains plan but with requirement for some basics handled with all paying the same regardless of pre-conditions. These basics would be only that which are now covered unless of more cost effective procedure comes along (no new and more costly treatments even if much better effectively) and only those which are deemed to be the most cost-effective treatment for an illness and only those that are medically necessary (no viagra and fertility treatments) and only those which have a relatively long life expectancy (some cancer treatments) and which do not cost over x dollars (so maybe no transplants).
Then people can buy more or less as they wish and choose to afford.
From Pat, Austin, Texas I own a software company with 30 employees. We pay for health insurance for all our employees. They can add their families at their expense. In most cases, spouses are also working, so they are covred by their employers.
We offer two plans (HSA and PPO). We pay the cost of the lower plan — the employee pays the difference if they opt for a higher cost plan. In the last two years, our HSA rates have gone down and our PPO rates have gone up.
It seems the more people are in control of their own medical decisions, the lower costs are.
From John D. Canuk I,m British by birth and Canadin by choice, I've seen what Government Health Insurance can do to a country. If you believe the Obama/Clinton Health program is FREE, dream on folks!? The recent Washington Bail-outsare BIG,you ain't seen nothing yet?
From Rich – Colorado Springs, CO If you want a healthcare plan that actually delivers healthcare to the people, you shouldn't vote for either of the two corporate candidates.
Ralph Nader has been advocating a single-payer healthcare system for years, and that's exactly why the corporate media continues to ignore him….
From Michael Garcia, Orange California You Left OUT an important part of Mccain's proposals.. Mccain will TAX everyone who gets health care through their employer.. So if you get health insurance as a benefit it will now be taxed.. Lets say your employer provides you with a good plan which is worth 12,000 dollars annually.. you now OWE TAXES on that 12,000 dollars worth of health insurance.. EVEN IF YOU NEVER USE IT.. If your employer pays you low wages you now have a higher tax burden which you can't afford.. causing you perhaps to refuse the health coverage from your employer to not pay those taxes which now puts you at risk if you get sick.. STUPID PLAN Mccain..
From Rich, Boston MA I find it hard to believe that anyone would put their faith in the government properly running a national health care plan. Whether it's Obama's or McCain's plan, both call for more government involvement and more taxes. The government has already shown how well it manages money, just take a look at Social Security and Medicare. I don't know the best way to providing all American citizens with affordable health care, I do know that it doesn't involve more government and higher taxes.
From j,dayton,oh The root problem is that we as a nation can no longer afford the cost of increasing our life span. Each increase in year of life cost a lot more than the prior cost for that year's increase. All the other cuts will bring it back to a lower set point but the dramatic rise will continue. We have a great life span now and good medical now. We are going to have to say this is enough. Enough increase in medical costs, enough increase in house size, enough increase in car size, enough. We have got ourselves into this economy through overspending and over-debt. Our country is doing the same because the same people that are going into debt are choosing our politicians. Until we vote for those who will balance the budget (causing hardship) then we will barrel through to a national crisis that will make the current one seem amazingly tame. We are each of us in debt to the tune of 1/2 million dollars thanks to the politicians we have put into place to get into that debt. We are in that national debt because we vote to have it so. We can say more, more, more and nationalize health insurance (remember the cost is 50 billion now but in 7 years it will be 100 billion and in 14 years it will be 200 billion. This is in addition to 53 trillion for medicare (main problem since largely unfunded by medicare tax) and social security (mostly funded or will be with tweaks) or we can get a subsidy and manage that to find a plan that we can afford and encourage competition and affordable plans. Maybe we don't get unlimited life span increase but you know what – I would rather have a healthy country and enough that too much followed by too little when the debt comes due.
From Jason, Halifax, Nova Scotia I'm a Canadian living in Canada. I have no political leaning other then "freedom works, us it where ever possible".
Our Government run medicare only covers about half what we need and we have to insure ourselves the rest. No company has to offer medicare to cover the rest (many do though). Our costs are huge and the only reason they are not higher then in America (and the rest of the western world) is because we let your free market system invent and innovate – at your cost – and our socialist leaning governments just do a cheap knock off – to our financial advantage… Where do you go by the bus load to get cheap no name meds? CANADA!
If USA got the medicare system under government control, your medical advancment would stop. Keep leading the way of freedom even if the rest of the world is feeding off your coat tails once again. It sickens me to say that becasue I know we have the ability to do it right here, we just lack the freedom. Our health care system is like Janet Jackson at a superbowl – you only think you're covered!
It's a proven fact, competition increases efficiency and lowers costs. McCain is on the right track, but he should increase the tax credit to make it work right and now.
A company's reason for existance is making money – and they are good at it. If the Gov't wants people to have medicare, why force companies to do it, if you are going to do anything, just tax them a little more for the right to do business in America and have the Gov't issue medicare tax credits for competition – nothing more. Why should a company spend their time away from making money so they can search for insurance and why should a government agency do bad at governing something else, they have enough to worry about as it is.
Should the Gov't tell you boss to buy your car insurance and groceries too for you? The world needs good managers in office, not babysitters.
From Diane, Ellensburg, WA McCain will take my existing employer provided health care insurance tax me for the portion my employer pays. then he will force me into the public marketplace (see how well it's working now) where I will be unable to find affordable coverage because of pre-existing conditions. While I am not sure Obama has the answer, I'd much rather start from his plan than from McCain's. How can anyone be in favor of "letting the marketplace work" as we watch what is happening right now under Republican management?
From N. Powell, Jacksonville Florida We are a small business who still provides 100% of the premium cost for our 18 employees, but this cost is spiraling so high each year that we don't know how long we can continue doing it. While on the surface McCain's plan sounds interesting, I cannot see it working in practice. Massachusetts is trying to require people to buy insurance, but many of them don't. So we end up paying the cost for the uninsured anyway through emergency room care. And with McCain's plan, if an employer provides insurance, the employee will pay a taxes on that benefit! Maybe there's another solution out there, but all I can come up with is a minimum level of universal healthcare with the option to "buy up." Clear out the insurance middlemen, clean up fraud and waste in Medicare, and the dollars have got to be there.
From J Dayton, oh Btw: not only do thin people cost more than obese overall according to studies due to their longer life spans while the same study stated obese cost more in a year. The thin by their longer life spans tax Social Security and Medicare (of which they pay only 20% of the premium each year). Additionally, the correlation between obesity and disease is not always obesity causing disease. I, and others I know, gain weight when sick due to lack of exercise and time in bed. We lose once healthy again. Certainly, there are some diseases where the case does seem to be obesity contributing to the disease. The interesting thing about this is that Obama and Clinton both state they can reduce cost for the government by making people thin – enough to help pay for their ideas. But the study they site says otherwise. Are they not very intelligent and only browse information, used by others or manipulating you to get elected and saying don't worry about the cost because we are so smart that we figured out something nobody else did. Predjudice against the fat (high in the poor and sick) and predjudice against those over 40 or 50 is increasing and have replaced sexism and racism and the new OK predjudices. Politicians have no trouble using the new "acceptable" predjudices to get their way same as older politician used the other predjudices of the time. Something to think about when you choose to vote.
From Stephen Felts, Hermitage, TN As a physician and small business owner I long ago concluded that coupling health insurance with one's employment is a very bad idea. Thus even though I am very much an Obama supporter on other issues, I find his health care plan, which continues the use of this unjustifiable and regressive linknage, to be unacceptable.
Only a MAJOR reform of our medical care system is going to answer this worsening situation.
Stephen Felts, MD
idconsult@comcast.net
From J Dayton, oh Tim, actually the same study that said obesity increases cost yearly said total life health cost is greater for thin person because they live longer. Social Security is being overwhelmed by the increased life expectancy for the thin. Unfortunately, getting everyone thin will just make health care cost to the government worse not better
From Janet Maus, Ontario, OR This is the only country that first takes a persons assets and then their dignity when they require medical care.
We need a single payer form of insurance with all persons receiving the same quality of care. It can be paid for in the form of a tax. The current welfare budget would go a long way in financing this medical reform. Neither the Republican party or the Democrats have it right. They are advocating a medical care system with class distinctions based on how good of insurance you can afford to pay for.
From Tim, Westport CT Neither candidate’s plan will solve the problem. The problem is COST! Both McCain and Obama’s plan are just shifting cost and not addressing how to lower cost. We are an Obese Nation and the increase in obesity over the years is directly related to the increasing cost of healthcare. If we want to solve the healthcare crisis we need to start working towards growing a healthier country. If we don’t do anything about the health of our country we will never control the rising cost of healthcare.
From Barbara Tessin Hollidaysburg PA Neither candidate addresses the idea that there needs to be more oversight in healthcare. My daughter went to the hospital with a migraine, and without being admitted, ran up a bill of $12,000. It would have been higher, but we made them stop running tests before a diagnosis was made. The same tests in an outpatient clinic would have cost $2500. Medicine is out of control.
From swade cambridge,ma I find it ethically corrupt that we spend billions on a socialized military and give the Pentagon a blank check, and yet the idea of insuring that all Americans have access to affordable healthcare is somehow perceived as a communist threat. Private health insurance companies are motivated by PROFIT, not by the well being of the American people. Not all things are best left to a free market capitalist system….there should be some regulations to protect the health and welfare of the lower and middle classes of our country. It is a disgrace that our great country does not take care of it's own people. Most Americans can not afford healthcare costs….there is a problem with that! I too have doubts about the government running a healthcare system…but I have stronger doubts about a FOR PROFIT system looking out for the health needs of our country. There concern is not about our citizens health….it is about shareholder value. MLK said that a country that spends more on our defense budget than on the educational and health needs of it's citizens is approaching spirtual death. I think he was right.
From Trygve, Dubai, UAE My wife and I run a small business with us being the only employees. I have been declined insurance from every insurer licensed in my state (Nevada). So six years ago we left the USA and have now settled overseas. I have health insurance from a UK firm with $10 million in coverage for $270/mo total for the two of us. It is valid everywhere in the world except the USA.
Now I am looking to employ some people but I doubt it will be Americans… health care is just impossible to obtain at any price in my home country… what has happened to the USA?
From Ryan, North Carolina I believe McCain's plan will be helpful by introducing more competition between these companies. More competition will, hopefully, lead to lower rates and more people being accepted…even those with pre-existing conditions. I know it's harsh but insurance companies are taking on risk and if people have pre-existing conditions it is more risk to the company…are healthy people willing to pay higher premiums for unhealthy people? Maybe this will encourage people to take better care for themselves. I realize that many diseases/illnesses are not self inflicted but we (read: Americans) have an obesity epidemic. This of course leads to a number of health issues that are causing higher prices for everyone. We need to take responsibility for our own health before we blame everyone from the doctors to the president.
From J Dayton, oh The root cause of health-care spiraling out of control is that we are buying life span with ever new and expensive treatments. There will have to be a cutoff point where we just say increases in life span will have to be paid for with cost-saving procedures only or no one can afford. Yes we can do stuff with malpractice and efficiencies but that may reduce one time to 1/2 and give us a breather to fix but the root cause remains. I think McCains is better because it will let people decide this through plans on their own according to their life. Obama's will bankrupt the country through failure of political will to cap the benefits until the country is in desparate straits from massive debt and has to cut back every program save the very, very basics including social security and medicare.
From Larryh Hewitt Rock Hill SC McCain's plan will merely accelerate the trend of companies abandoning employer paid healthcare. And the unmatched offset for private plan premiums will drive more peple to risk being uninsured.
Neither plan addresses the core issue — the cost of medical care is rising at about twice the rate of inflation. We have the most expensive health care in the world and the cost needs to come down.
From Ben, Florence SC All talk and no action. Health insurance is this country must be mandatory like auto or home insurance. Everyone in this country gets income whether it is earned or unearned. The govenment should have a national plan and should take out health care premiums like taxes on all income. Whether is is earned via a paycheck or uneared like medicare and social security. The only people complaining about health care insurance are the ones who want it only when they need it but can probably afford it but it is not a priority.
From Luke Nashville TN How is it that when Social Security – Medicare and Medicaid is in such dire straights that we now have confidence in creating a national health care insurance system? Our legislators will find a way to suck the money reserves from it just as they have with the above programs which are no more than a hidden income tax that can now no longer afford to pay for what it was intended. In fact if private enterprise had a program like SS or Medicare it would be disallowed as it has the same structure as piramid or ponsi scheme. We have run out of enough contributers (investors) to support those programs. Where did the money go? Congress spent it and can not pay it back.
From Kate Pavelle, Pittsburgh PA The figure of $12,000/year to insure a family of four is unrealistic for those of us who are self-employed. Both my husband and I run our own, one-person businesses. After the group, discounted insurance we used to get through his BAR association more than doubled our mortgage payment ($1,860/month), we were forced to drop it and go without. We applied for several low-cost, high-deductible insurance plans, but the insurance companies declined 3 out of 4 family members based on rather benign preexisting conditions. Now we are insured through a public access state plan. I hear stories like this one over and over, and I meet more and more people who suddenly have to "go without". Either candidate's plan would be better than what we have now, as long as there is guaranteed access to minimum, basic health care for those with preexisting conditions of any kind. Insurance companies shouldn't be able to cherry-pick – the whole idea of *insurance* is spreading the risk, after all.
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If you are receiving so many comments you can't published – how can some stupid statement like this get published – was the purpose to show how ignorant the person was?