Health Care Plan Debate Heats Up, But Whose Costs More?

Side-by-Side Plan Comparison

	McCain Health Plan	Obama Health Plan
The Underlying Principle	Move beyond employer-sponsored health insurance toward a more competitive private insurance market	Provide the uninsured access to buy health coverage through a government insurance pool
The Game Changer	* Move away from current individual tax benefit for employer-sponsored health insurance.	* Offer a Public Health Plan similar to Federal Employee Health Benefits
	* Move toward a national health insurance market, to encourage greater competition and lower health premiums	* Create a National Health Insurance Exchange for buying private insurance
		* Mandate health insurance coverage for all children
How They’d Change The Insurance Landscape	* Push for wider market competition to boost individual health insurance market	* Insurance Exchange to create a larger pool and push for competitive pricing
	* Allow individuals and businesses to buy insurance across state lines	* Cap insurance profits to hold down costs
	* Encourage states to reduce mandates which raise plan costs	* Pay or Play Penalty: Employers that don't offer coverage have to pay into national plan
The High Risk Pool: How They’d Insure Access To Care	* Develop A Guaranteed Access Plan Work with states to make sure patients with pre-existing illnesses would have access to care	* Guarantee Insurance Eligibility
	* Work with states to make sure patients with pre-existing illnesses would have access to care	* No one could be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions
How They’d Combat Malpractice Costs:	* Tort Reform Push for medical liability reform to reduce malpractice lawsuits against doctors who follow clinical guidelines and protocols.	* Antitrust Laws Push for regulation to promote lower malpractice insurance
	* Push for medical liability reform to reduce malpractice lawsuits against doctors who follow clinical guidelines and protocols	* Push for regulation to promote lower malpractice insurance

Correction: An earlier version of this story contained a different calculation of the individual tax impact of the McCain health tax credit. We have amended the report, after the McCain campaign provided clarification on the use of tax-advantaged FSA and HRA accounts to pay for out-of-pocket expenses.

© 2012 CNBC.com

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