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McCain offers $5000 per family for health insurance
By Ben Wasserman
Apr 29, 2008 - 11:18:08 AM

The following a 60-second ad released in Iowa by 'John McCain's Campaign and cited by the Associate Press.   I’d like to give some comment on the issues raised in the ad.

SCRIPT: McCain: "The problem with health care in America is not the quality of health care, it's the availability and the affordability. And that has to do with the dramatic increase in the cost of health care.

"Let's give every American family a $5,000 refundable tax credit so that they can go out across state lines and get the insurance policy that suits them best.

"I can characterize my approach on health care by choice and competition, affordability and availability.

"We need community health centers. We need walk-in clinics. We understand that emergency room care is the most expensive in America.

"There's many, many solutions to this problem. I think we can address them. The fundamental problem is not the quality of health care; it's the cost of health care. So health care must be made affordable and available.

"I'm John McCain, and I approve this message."

There are many millions of Americans with health insurance and it is a good thing to give them some basic insurance.   But the quality of health care is still an important issue. In the U.S., an average of $7300 per capita, likely the most expensive in the world, is spent each year on health care, but the quality is not comparable to that in other developed countries, according to some studies.

Giving tax credit for people who have purchased health insurance is the best a politician can do because this not only pleases voters, but also insurance companies, which are the ultimate recipient of the tax credit.

Following a healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent lots of diseases and reduce cost for health care. But I did not hear any word from presidential candidates including McCain that any of them would propose to give come monetary incentives to those who follow a healthy lifestyle and thus avoid many chronic diseases.

Health insurance helps many people, but the fundamental insurance lies in a healthy lifestyle, which benefits each and every citizen.