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SECRETARY-TREASURER’S REPORT
Your vote is critical to
the future of health care
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Almost everyone now agrees that America’s current health care system is in terrible shape.
Almost 50 million of our fellow citizens don’t have any health insurance and are forced to postpone or go without basic medical care. When their health problems become critical, they end up in hospital emergency rooms and the taxpayers end up paying the bill.
Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain both have proposals to extend health insurance to people who currently don’t have it.
Whose proposal is better?
McCain wants to impose the first ever tax on health care benefits. This would give companies still more incentive to cut back on these benefits or eliminate them altogether. Workers then would be forced to scramble to find private health insurance.
Under McCain’s plan, every family would receive a direct refundable tax credit of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of
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insurance. But in a time when the average cost of employer-provided family health insurance is $12,000 a year, a $5,000 tax credit comes up far short.
Union members, who tend to have the best health benefits, have much to lose under McCain’s proposal.
Obama’s plan, on the other hand, would cover more people and does not include a tax on employer provided benefits. Those who already
have good benefits can keep them and would not be penalized.
This plan builds on existing private and public programs such as employer health insurance, private health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. In
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addition, a National Health Insurance Exchange would sell insurance coverage directly to those who do not have an employer plan or public coverage. Employers would be required to provide health insurance or contribute toward the cost of a public plan.
Finally, Obama’s plan would provide premium subsidies to individuals and families who are not eligible for employer-based care or a government program.
Fixing our troubled health care system the right way will serve the needs of everyone, not just the lucky few. I urge you to educate yourself on the issues when you vote in November.  |
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