auditor0007
Gold Member
I am one of those Republicans who can't stand John McCain. While I've taken a serious look at Obama, there is no way I can support him, and here is the reason. One of Obama's big deals is healthcare. He says his plan will cost $65 billion. Let's see, he's going to spend $65 billion to fix a system that currently costs us between $1.7 to $2.2 trillion? That isn't even a bandaid, it's a piece of tape on a wound that requires amputation.
Obama's plan is completely flawed. While Obama's plan does not require Americans to purchase health insurance, he says his plan will make it more affordable. Let's look at how he will supposedly do this. First, he will require insurance companies to accept anyone and everyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions. This in itself, is something that is needed. Many Americans cannot get health insurance due to pre-existing conditions. However, forcing insurance companies to accept those with pre-existing conditions is what creates the biggest flaw in Obama's plan. With Obama's plan, their is no requirement for anyone to purchase health insurance, but the insurance companies cannnot deny anyone coverage. So guess what will happen? Even more Americans will choose to drop their current coverage. If the time comes that they do get sick, then they'll purchase health insurance. Under this system, insurance companies will be paying out much more and collecting much less. In other words, someone will have to pay for the difference. Guess who that will be? Anyone who has health insurance will see their rates skyrocket. The insurance companies will have no choice but to raise rates. If the government caps them, they'll go bankrupt or just get out of the business of offering health insurance.
Hillary had one thing right; if you want everyone to have insurance and if you are going to force insurance companies to accept anyone and everyone, even those with pre-existing conditions, then everyone must be forced to pay into the system. That concept would actually work, although it would require subsidizing low income earners, but at least it would help drop the overall cost of insurance.
As an example, a healthy self-employed individual, age 45, can currently get a private policy for his/her family of four for around $600 per month. Companies that offer group plans pay $1000 per month or more for the same policy. That is due to the fact that they cannot deny individuals based on pre-existing conditions within those group policies. If everyone payed into the system, then the average would drop somewhat.
Last of all, Obama's plan does not adequately address the costs of prescription drugs. This is the one area where costs could be reduced drastically. The US is the only country that does not cap how much the drug companies can charge people for their drugs. While I support capitalism and generally am against government supports that hinder economic growth, when it comes to prescription drugs, Americans are playing on an unfair playing field. The reason we pay so much for our prescription drugs is that we are subsidizing the rest of the world. In many cases, Canadians, as an example, will pay 25% to 75% less than Americans for their prescription drugs. The answer is very simple. We tell the drug companies that we will cap what they can charge to the highest amount charged by any country other than the US who caps what can be charged.
The idea behind this is to force the drug companies to put pressure on those countries with caps to raise those caps. If other countries pay more, which they should, then the drug companies can still make a reasonable profit without raping the American public. This would also involve a government policy that would put pressure on those countries with caps to raise those caps and absorb a more reasonable percentage of the overall cost of those drugs.
While McCain's plan is not any answer at all, Obama's, as it stands now, will make the situation worse, not better. Looking at many of Obama's other proposals, you will find many similar flaws. The things he wants to change will reduce economic activity and just make government bigger without doing any American any good at all.
Obama wants to spend massive amounts of our money that he doesn't even have. Honestly, if I wanted to spend money I didn't have, I'd at least want to see it spent on things that would give us something in return. For instance, a massive spending bill that went entirely to the improvement of our infrastructure would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, which would actually help the economy, and give us something in return for the investment. Obama's plans just throw money at things that won't help grow the economy or give us anything in return other than greater debt.
As much as I don't like McCain, the choice is obvious. Obama will be a disaster if he is given the opportunity to implement his plans.
Obama's plan is completely flawed. While Obama's plan does not require Americans to purchase health insurance, he says his plan will make it more affordable. Let's look at how he will supposedly do this. First, he will require insurance companies to accept anyone and everyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions. This in itself, is something that is needed. Many Americans cannot get health insurance due to pre-existing conditions. However, forcing insurance companies to accept those with pre-existing conditions is what creates the biggest flaw in Obama's plan. With Obama's plan, their is no requirement for anyone to purchase health insurance, but the insurance companies cannnot deny anyone coverage. So guess what will happen? Even more Americans will choose to drop their current coverage. If the time comes that they do get sick, then they'll purchase health insurance. Under this system, insurance companies will be paying out much more and collecting much less. In other words, someone will have to pay for the difference. Guess who that will be? Anyone who has health insurance will see their rates skyrocket. The insurance companies will have no choice but to raise rates. If the government caps them, they'll go bankrupt or just get out of the business of offering health insurance.
Hillary had one thing right; if you want everyone to have insurance and if you are going to force insurance companies to accept anyone and everyone, even those with pre-existing conditions, then everyone must be forced to pay into the system. That concept would actually work, although it would require subsidizing low income earners, but at least it would help drop the overall cost of insurance.
As an example, a healthy self-employed individual, age 45, can currently get a private policy for his/her family of four for around $600 per month. Companies that offer group plans pay $1000 per month or more for the same policy. That is due to the fact that they cannot deny individuals based on pre-existing conditions within those group policies. If everyone payed into the system, then the average would drop somewhat.
Last of all, Obama's plan does not adequately address the costs of prescription drugs. This is the one area where costs could be reduced drastically. The US is the only country that does not cap how much the drug companies can charge people for their drugs. While I support capitalism and generally am against government supports that hinder economic growth, when it comes to prescription drugs, Americans are playing on an unfair playing field. The reason we pay so much for our prescription drugs is that we are subsidizing the rest of the world. In many cases, Canadians, as an example, will pay 25% to 75% less than Americans for their prescription drugs. The answer is very simple. We tell the drug companies that we will cap what they can charge to the highest amount charged by any country other than the US who caps what can be charged.
The idea behind this is to force the drug companies to put pressure on those countries with caps to raise those caps. If other countries pay more, which they should, then the drug companies can still make a reasonable profit without raping the American public. This would also involve a government policy that would put pressure on those countries with caps to raise those caps and absorb a more reasonable percentage of the overall cost of those drugs.
While McCain's plan is not any answer at all, Obama's, as it stands now, will make the situation worse, not better. Looking at many of Obama's other proposals, you will find many similar flaws. The things he wants to change will reduce economic activity and just make government bigger without doing any American any good at all.
Obama wants to spend massive amounts of our money that he doesn't even have. Honestly, if I wanted to spend money I didn't have, I'd at least want to see it spent on things that would give us something in return. For instance, a massive spending bill that went entirely to the improvement of our infrastructure would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, which would actually help the economy, and give us something in return for the investment. Obama's plans just throw money at things that won't help grow the economy or give us anything in return other than greater debt.
As much as I don't like McCain, the choice is obvious. Obama will be a disaster if he is given the opportunity to implement his plans.
