Sen. John McCain announced his Health Care Plan yesterday @ a Rotary Club meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. DAN NOWICKI from the 'Arizona Republic' McCAIN CENTRAL has the story HERE.
Here are some excerpts from McCain's Speech:
"The biggest problem with the American health care system is
that it costs too much, and the way inflationary pressures are actually built
into it. Businesses and families pay more and more every year to get what they
often consider to be inadequate attention or poor care. And those who want to
buy insurance are often unable to because of the high cost. What more compelling
evidence of the problem do we need than to note that General Motors now spends
more for health care of its employees and retirees than for the material
required to manufacture its products - steel. The price of every GM car includes
over $1500 for health care costs compared to Toyota whose total cost for
healthcare per car is about $200. "
"I believe Americans want to be part of a system that offers
high quality care; that respects their individual dignity and is available at
reasonable cost. Unfortunately, the American health care system as it is
currently structured fails this test. It is too expensive. It insults our common
sense and dignity with excessive paperwork, disconnected visits with too many
specialists, and by elaborately hiding from us any clear idea of what we are
getting for our money. We must reform the health care system to make it
responsive to the needs of American families. Not the government. Not the
insurance companies. Not tort lawyers. Not even the doctors and hospitals. The
next president will have to take on the special interests that thrive in the
health care system. Doctors must do a better job of managing our care and
keeping us healthy and out of hospitals and nursing homes. We will need
alternatives to doctors' offices and emergency rooms. Hospitals must do a better
job of taking care of us when we are there, commit far fewer deadly and costly
medical errors and generally operate more efficiently. Pharmaceutical companies
must worry less about squeezing additional profits from old medicines by copying
the last successful drug and insisting on additional patent protections and
focus more on new and innovative medicine. Insurance companies should spend more
on medical care and less on "administration." My reforms are built on the
pursuit of three goals: paying only for quality medical care, having insurance
choices that are diverse and responsive to individual needs, and restoring our
sense of personal responsibility."
"One major difference among these front runners concerns
insurance regulation, and here Mr. McCain comes out on top. Part of the reason
coverage costs differ so sharply among states is because some have chosen to
impose multiple rules and mandates. Mr. McCain would allow people to purchase
policies across state lines, which is currently prohibited. That would let
people choose the coverage levels that best serve their needs, and would make
insurance far more affordable for people in mandate-heavy states like New York
and Massachusetts."
No comments:
Post a Comment