McCain's health care plan

[Ender]

"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."

- John McCain, in his article "Better Health Care at Lower Cost for Every American" in the Sept/Oct issues of Contingencies, the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries. Link here

Ok, really. We deregulated the banking industry, and now we are shelling out trillions buying up the bad debt. Right now we are spending over 10% of our GDP socializing failure after spending a decade privatizing success... so let's do the same to health care!

Seriously, I'm just stunned by this. How stupid do you need to be to advocate a policy that is failing this badly? Heck, not just to advocate it, to argue to expand it to a critical facet of human life? It just boggles my mind that anyone could think that mirroring what we did to Wall Street would be a good idea when every day we hear more and more about what an utter travesty these ideas were when applied to other industries.

But hey, it is against socialism (pleasing the neocons), gives more to the rich (pleasing the neocons), and prayer is the best remedy to illness anyways!

[Shroom Man 777]

Why on Earth would he want to make an analogy with banking when it is in utter shit right now? Is he an idiot?

I mean, they support these policies because it makes them rich - I know that. But, come on, why would he make an analogy with banking? Is he trying to make himself look stupid?

[RedImperator]

In the senator's (limited) defense, this interview probably happened weeks ago, before the entire banking sector more or less took a huge shit right on the taxpayer's shoe. That said, I'm still boggled he'd bring up banking deregulation in any kind of positive context. I'm starting to think the man really is senile.

Anyway, I'll bet you $100 this quote shows up in an Obama ad this week. They're already having merry fun with "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" from Monday, and this one's even better.

[Ender]

In the senator's (limited) defense, this interview probably happened weeks ago, before the entire banking sector more or less took a huge shit right on the taxpayer's shoe.

I don't see that as much of an excuse seeing as how the market has been flipping out for over a year thanks to these policies.

That said, I'm still boggled he'd bring up banking deregulation in any kind of positive context. I'm starting to think the man really is senile.

I think it is more he sold out after 2000 to get himself a win, and since then the fatcats, dominionists, and neocons have been in the driving seat for him. That Time interview where he wouldn't comment on most things and repeated talking points on the others seems pretty conclusive evidence to me that this is a man whose party told him to shut the fuck up.

[Patrick Degan]

"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."

Because that's just worked out so well for the banking and financial management industries, hasn't it, Johnny Boy? Oh, I say, is that a Lehman Bros. branch office over there across the street? The one with the boarded-up windows and the "closed" sign on it?

Sometimes, the comedy just writes itself.

[Broomstick]

My highest priority in health reform will be to slow the rapid growth in the cost of care and transform the practice of medicine to help produce better health across the population.

What? And the 50 million uninsured can just go to hell? That's 1 in 6 Americans, McCain.

They need to be in charge of their health care dollars, with stronger incentives and improved access to enhanced information tools that facilitate better health behavior and smarter health care decisions.

The average American - no matter how smart or well educated - is NOT qualified to make their own "health care decisions", that's why doctors exist. Patients should go to DOCTORS, not fuck with "enhanced information tools"

In health care, we believe in enhancing the freedom of individuals to receive necessary and desired care. We do not believe in coercion and the use of state power to mandate care, coverage, or costs.

In other words, completely de-regulate the insurance industry and remove all consumer protections.

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.

Well, I agree with that....

I would also allow individuals to choose to purchase health insurance across state lines, when they can find more affordable and attractive products elsewhere that they prefer. Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.

Ya, that worked so well with banking, didn't it? And good-bye consumer protection laws.

Consumer-friendly insurance policies

>cough< - the insurance company is NOT your friend!

You should be able to buy your insurance from any willing provider—the state bureaucracies are no better than national
ones.

Oh, goody - can I buy my coverage from Canada?

Nationwide insurance markets that ensure broad and vigorous competition will wring out excess costs, overhead, and bloated executive compensation.

Oh, right, because private company CEO's are paid modest salaries... what?

We need to shift our focus from mere volume of care to quality of care that is grounded in coordination of care and achievement of good health outcomes.

What if you have a bad health outcome? Do you get a refund? Penalized for not doing your part?

We need to provide strong incentives to move the practice of medicine away from a siloed provider-based approach into a more patient-centric coordinated approach.

But what the hell does that mean?

Reforming Medicare is an essential part of moving our health care system from a fragmented fee-for-service approach to care and toward paying for coordinated care and prevention.

HMO's for all! That was my first thought, which may or may not be entirely accurate...

The final important principle of reform is to rediscover our sense of personal responsibility to take better care of ourselves and our children. We must personally do everything we can to prevent expensive, chronic diseases through better health behavior

In other words, if you're sick it's your own damn fault. Shame on your for costing money!

Looks like you're on your own, motherfuckers! Consumer protection? Pish-tosh - government interference! It costs money!

[K. A. Pital]

That tripe is called a "healthcare plan"? No seriously, a bunch of blah blah statements are called a "plan" now? Well, can't go too hard on McCain. He's senile after all.

[CmdrWilkens]

Its part of the idea that if you just sell health care on an unregulated market then everyone will get the best care they can afford. After all stripping the US of the basic safety nets of health care and retirement income is just good old fashion capitalism.