John McCain: Town Hall 08/20/08

John McCain
Town Hall
Las Cruces, NM 08/20/08

TRANSCRIPT:
AUDIENCE MEMBER: [...] My husband was the former mayor of El Paso. [...] My husband was diagnosed with a brain disorder, the same one that afflicted Sen. Domenici. And at 51, he did not have long-term care. And it was so devastating that totally destroyed our finances, so I had to take him to my family's country home, which is in Spain. I got to see first-hand how social care was so much affordable. He was a fighter--although he undermined his muscle, he lost his voice, I was able to provide better care for him in another country than in our own. And so, I wanna know about your health care plan [starts to cry]-- how can be affordable? How can we change that? Why did I have to take him someplace else so he could die in a better place than his own country?

[applause]

JOHN MCCAIN: Thank you and please accept the sympathy of all of us. [...] There is a health care crisis in America. [...] We have to reform health care in America. And we have to make insurance available and affordable for all Americans. I do not believe that that means a government-run health care system is the most efficient for what we need. [applause] And we need to have policies that encourage home health care as opposed to institutionalized care. And we need to treat people on an outcome basis, that don't pay for every test or every procedure, every visit to the doctor; but treat them for a period of time and then pay that provider. [...] There's a program now [...] that's not as wide as I'd like to see where it's called cash-in counseling, and seniors are given money every month and then they're able to decide how they want to pay for their own health care. It's remarkable the savings that have been realized.

MCCAIN: But in cases like your husband, where they're basically uninsurables, quote "uninsurables"--people with chronic diseases such as the terrible affliction that befell your husband--[...] we should have [...] Government Approved Plans, so that we pool federal and state money together and establish wide risk pools so that there is affordable and available health insurance for people like you and your husband. We cannot leave the quote "uninsurables," or chronic-disease victims, without the access to care. And so it's gonna have to be a federal and state combination, providing significant federal money from the federal government. And we are going to have to have that as a major part of health care reform. Because we cannot allow any American, any American citizen to experience what your husband experienced.

LABEL: JM NM 08-20 (EW#15) CRKD - ClipA

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• TRACKING
• JOHN
• MCCAIN
• health
• care
• healthcare
• pre-existing
• condition
• GAP
• coverage
• insurance

[kjb400]

You're kidding me. His healthcare plan is Cash and Counseling? McCain, do your research. Cash and Counseling provides a grant to the homebound disabled and elderly (most of whom have Medicare or Medicaid) to hire and pay for whomever they choose to serve as their home health care assistant. This woman's husband needed long term care, the Cash and Counseling program is designed to keep people out of nursing homes. This is another example of how McCain is out of touch with American's problems.

[Cimi720]

Are you serious? you heard a plan in his rhetoric?

[bpyjktgiuk]

sen domenici

[bpyjktgiuk]

Brain chip - CHECK MY SITE.

[blkout15]

I hope this old dirty bastard dies

[manchies]

health care should be free u fucken retards why should we have to pay to live just because theres a bunch of greedy sons of nigger bitch mother fuck shits out there and fuck McCain hes a nigger and he should die along with all his supporters... its not rocket science !!!! people should not die because they are poor!!!!

[GenevaPilgrim]

sorich-oops- ironicall I left off the 4 in mine as well. we pay the same as you-$430 dollars. I know that sounds ironic, but it's true. And we have that same option-to see whatever doctors we want. To me-$430 a month for family coverage is pretty good, although it took me a while to come to terms with it because at his previous job we paid half that. But if I got a tax credit of $5000 I would have money to put in the Health Savings Plan to cover other expenses.

[sorich]

There is just so much to explain in 500 characters. Sign me up for your coverage. I pay $430 a month for family health. I have the luxury of going to any doctor including specialist with out a referral though.

[GenevaPilgrim]

sorich: I'm sorry for assuming that you don't know, but I have scrutinized them both too & I like McCain's plan better. And I don't understand your logic. Why would someone with group coverage leave their current plan to shop for another plan that isn't as good?

McCain's plan also covers more uninsured than Obama's. We pay $30 a mo. for family coverage through my husband's empolyer and they have assured us they will not change anything if McCain is president. I love our healthcare.

[sorich]

I know exactly the difference between the health plans. I have researched enough to kill a scientist. It is a nice idea to give people a credit to pay for health care, it just doesn't match what annual costs are, not even close. Tax credits would move people out of group plans and into individual policies where the benefits aren't as good. In other words, you pay more, you get less, millions remain uninsured.

[GenevaPilgrim]

sorich: instead of saying something like this-why don't you mosy over to McCain's website & read about his plan. Why don't you look up non-partisan medical reports on what each plan offers between Obama & McCain instead of getting your info from the media or listening to McCain & Obama argue over who's plan is better. I have gone to their websites & studied both of their plans & both have benefits & negatives. I'm sure you have no idea what the McCain plan vs the Obama plan entails.