The Health Care Blog

McCain's health plan likely going down with him

By Robert Laszewski John McCain would reform the American health care system by providing big tax incentives for it to transition from being employer-based to one built on a system of individual responsibility. He would do this by eliminating the...
October 29, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Policy/Politics, Robert Laszewski | Permalink | Comments (7)

Will a $5,000-tax credit be the silver bullet to solve health care?

By Shuka Kalantari If Senator John McCain becomes U.S. president he plans to give each American family $5,000 to pay for health insurance premium costs in the individual market. Individuals would get $2,500 for the same use. How does McCain...
October 28, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (7)

Firefighters attack McCain's health plan

By Shuka Kalantari The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) recently launched a campaign in support of Senator Obama for president -- and an attack on Senator McCain's health care plan. The commercial features four firefighters. "Our job is to risk...
October 27, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (6)

If you can stay awake, the candidates' health plans explained

By Sarah Arnquist The New England Journal of Medicine and Harvard University teamed up to bring you this compelling, hour-long nail-biter of Gail Wilensky and David Cutler discussing their respective candidates' health plans. I wonder if the NEJM has had...
September 25, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Obama, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (2)

Remember pensions? The big differences between Obama & McCain's health care plans

By Robert Laszewski This election is different than any other on the issue of health care because both candidates are giving us serious blueprints to reorganize America's health care system and those blueprints are very very different. As voters, you...
September 11, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Obama, Policy/Politics, Robert Laszewski | Permalink | Comments (8)

Sarah Palin's limited health care record staunchly free market

By Robert Laszewski Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has very little on her health care policy resume from her short time in office as Alaska's Governor but what she does have fits right in with Senator McCain's strategy to use...
September 5, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Policy/Politics, Robert Laszewski | Permalink | Comments (30)

The problems with high-risk pools

By Robert Laszewski What do we do with people who are uninsurable because they have a pre-existing medical condition? That is a particularly important question as both McCain and Obama propose reforming American health care by building on the private...
August 1, 2008 in Election 08, Mandates, Marketplace, McCain, Obama, Robert Laszewski | Permalink | Comments (5)

Doubtful McCain's health plan would accomplish any real cost savings

By Robert Laszewski John McCain is now the presumptive Republican nominee for president. As a result, what he thinks about health care policy will be out front in the presidential campaign this fall. McCain’s thinking couldn’t be more different from...
July 23, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Policy/Politics, Robert Laszewski | Permalink | Comments (3)

Comparative what? Translating policy lingo into something meaningful

By Sarah Arnquist Barack Obama's health reform proposal includes creating a center for comparative effectiveness research. John McCain also has expressed support for this research. And the American College of Physicians would like patients and doctors to use comparative effectiveness...
July 11, 2008 in Economics, McCain, Obama, Policy, Sarah Arnquist | Permalink | Comments (12)

Ted Kennedy shows up to vote; McCain absent

By Maggie Mahar Maggie Mahar is an award winning journalist and author. A frequent contributor to THCB, her work has appeared in the New York Times, Barron's and Institutional Investor. She is the author of Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason...
July 10, 2008 in Maggie Mahar, McCain, Medical Devices, Medicare, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (7)

Against Obama, polls show McCain lags on health care

By Robert Laszewski The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll on health care should give John McCain reason to be concerned. The early May poll asked voters, "Regardless of whom you may support, whom do you trust more to handle health...
May 21, 2008 in Election 08, McCain, Obama, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (4)

Implications of McCain's plan analyzed at Spot-On

By THCB Staff Over at Spot-On, Matthew predicts what would happen if Sen. John McCain were to win the presidential election this fall, and the Republicans took Congress, and they passed his health plan. Matthew describes the basic tenets in...
May 15, 2008 in McCain, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (1)

Presidential candidates' health plans

By THCB Staff As a service to our readers, we've compiled all the presidential candidates' health plans in one place for you to easily access. Soon, we'll have a section of the TCHB devoted to the presidential race and health...
May 12, 2008 in Election 08, Hillary Clinton, McCain, Obama, Policy/Politics | Permalink | Comments (6)

McCain Would Increase Medicare Part D Premiums

By Robert Laszewski As part of his broader speech on economic issues John McCain last week called for high income seniors to pay more for their D drug coverage. Couples making more than $160,000 a year would pay higher premiums....
April 18, 2008 in McCain | Permalink | Comments (4)

John McCain: Never a Day Without Government Health Insurance

By Sarah Arnquist Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) emphasizes freedom, personal choice and responsibility when promoting his plan to reform America’s health care system. He’s not calling for an incremental approach but "nothing short of a complete...
April 12, 2008 in McCain | Permalink | Comments (32)