Monday, October 20, 2008

A Real-Life Look at the Impact of the Obama/McCain Health Plans

From today's Christian Science Monitor, an unbiased look at the health care plans that Sens. Obama and McCain have proposed. It includes this story about a family raiaing a child with special needs -- they would be guaranteed coverage under Obama's plan but would face potential bankruptcy under McCain's, which allows exclusions for people with pre-existing conditions.

"...Demko said she couldn’t keep working full time with an infant with special needs. When she quit, she didn’t realize that would result in her family’s being unable to get health insurance. Ohio does not require insurance companies to cover children with disabilities considered to be preexisting conditions. Both she and her husband have also had minor health issues, but she never imagined they might also be a barrier to finding an affordable healthcare plan."

The Demkos' income is too high for their daughter to qualify for Ohio’s state health insurance plan, but too low to qualify for another state-sponsored program. The article says, "She’s gotten quotes for family health plans that start at $3,000 a month, which is almost as much as they earn."

McCain's $5,000 annual tax credit wouldn't go very far for the Demkos, if they could get coverage at all.

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