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Health care is an important issue in our country. The United States spends more on health care than any other industrialized country and yet, there more than 46 million Americans without health insurance and millions more without adequate coverage. In addition, health care costs have risen steadily over the past 10 years and will continue to rise. With a need for reform, both Presidential candidates have put forth their plans on how to improve the health care system.
Barack Obama’s plan would mandate health care coverage for all children. The plan would provide affordable health insurance for every American, regardless of illness or pre-existing conditions. The plan would offer a new federal public health insurance program, similar to the health care program for federal employees, available to individuals and businesses that do not have coverage. The plan would also require employers to contribute to workers' health care insurance and offer small businesses a refundable tax credit.
John McCain’s plan would include providing a variety of insurance choices for people to choose from. The policies would be portable, following the individual, not the job. McCain’s plan would also offer tax credits of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to help pay for insurance coverage. He would also establish an access plan to develop a model that States could follow to ensure high-risk patients have access to health coverage.
Obama and McCain have vastly different views on how to improve the system and the health of all Americans. But what is often overlooked is how much of your health care is governed by you. The decisions you make everyday – what to eat for lunch, whether to take a walk after dinner, whether to quit smoking– all have an impact on your health care costs. This is because lifestyle behaviors contribute to your overall health and your overall health impacts your health care costs. So what are your thoughts? With health and health care on the minds of most of us – have you adopted any behaviors to improve your health and lower your health care costs?
Justin
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