McCain Health Plan Calls For Medicare, Medicaid Cuts
(New York, NY) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain reportedly plans to take a huge chunk out of Medicare and Medicaid spending to keep his proposed health care plan budget neutral. The "Wall Street Journal" reports McCain would cut an estimated one-point-three-trillion dollars over ten years from the government programs. Medicare and Medicaid provide health care to seniors, poor families and people with disabilities. McCain didn't detail where his cuts would come from, but his camp says any changes would lower the overall cost of care through Medicare and eliminate fraud.
This weekend, Democrat Barack Obama's campaign stepped up attacks on McCain's health care plan, which would provide tax credits for individuals and families to put toward insurance premiums on the open market. The "Journal" reports the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates the one-point-three-trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid would help up to five million more people get insurance. The think tank estimates Obama's plan to offer government subsidies to pay for insurance premiums would cost about one-point-six-trillion dollars and help 34 million more people get coverage. Obama's plan would also rely on some Medicare savings. |