from the McCain08 Site:
Reforming Health Care for All Americans. Real reform
will put families in the driver's seat of our health care system. The
road to reform does not lead through Washington and a hugely expensive,
bureaucratic, government-controlled system. John McCain will harness
competition to offer more affordable insurance options for as many
Americans as possible, leveraging the innovation and cost-effectiveness
of our nation's firms to put an end to existing rigid, unfriendly
bureaucracies. He will build a national market where insurance is more
available, portable, and accessible across state lines; in which
patients' rights are respected and their information under their
control; and one in which people may save more in tax-exempt Health
Savings Accounts. He will assist those who need help in getting private
insurance.
John McCain will provide incentives for a national
market - including the reimportation of pharmaceuticals - that offer
greater transparency about effective patient care, options for
preventative care and therapies, and prices so that competition makes
it easier for families to navigate toward quality and low cost. He will
demand reform to medical malpractice laws to curb abusive lawsuits that
squeeze doctors, prevent innovation, and drive up the cost of health
care. We need more transparency of prices and quality measures so that
patients can make informed choices.
John McCain is willing to address the fundamental problem: the rapidly rising cost of U.S. health care.
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Bringing costs under control is the only way to stop the erosion of
affordable health insurance, save Medicare and Medicaid, protect
private health benefits for retirees, and allow our companies to
effectively compete around the world.
- Families should be in charge of their health care dollars
and have more control over their care. We can improve health and spend
less, while promoting competition on the cost and quality of care,
taking better care of our citizens with chronic illness, and promoting
prevention that will keep millions of others from ever developing
deadly and debilitating disease.
- While we reform the system and maintain quality, we can and
must provide access to health care for all our citizens - whether
temporarily or chronically uninsured, whether living in rural areas
with limited services, or whether residing in inner cities where access
to physicians is often limited.
- America's veterans have fought for our freedom. We should
give them freedom to choose to carry their VA dollars to a provider
that gives them the timely care at high quality and in the best
location.
- Controlling health care costs will take fundamental change
- nothing short of a complete reform of the culture of our health
system and the way we pay for it will suffice.
Reforms to federal policy and programs should focus on enhancing
quality while controlling costs:
- Promote competition throughout the health care system - between providers and among alternative treatments.
- Make patients the center of care and give them a larger role
in both prevention and care, putting more decisions and responsibility
in their hands.
- Make public more information on treatment options and
require transparency by providers regarding medical outcomes, quality
of care, costs, and prices.
- Facilitate the development of national standards for measuring and recording treatments and outcomes.
- Reform the payment systems in Medicare to compensate
providers for diagnosis, prevention, and care coordination. Medicare
should not pay for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.
- Dedicate federal research on the basis of sound science resulting in greater focus on care and cure of chronic disease
- Give states the flexibility to, and encourage them to
experiment with: alternative forms of access; risk-adjusted payments
per episode covered under Medicaid; use of private insurance in
Medicaid; alternative insurance policies and insurance providers; and,
different licensing schemes for medical providers.
- Build genuine national markets by permitting providers to practice nationwide.
- Promote rapid deployment of 21st century information systems.
- Support innovative delivery systems, such as clinics in
retail outlets and other ways that provide greater market flexibility
in permitting appropriate roles for nurse practitioners, nurses, and
doctors.
- Where cost-effective, employ telemedicine, and community
and mental health clinics in areas where services and providers are
limited.
- Foster the development of routes for safe, cheaper generic
versions of drugs and biologic pharmaceuticals. Develop safety
protocols that permit re-importation to keep competition vigorous.
- Pass tort reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits and
excessive damage awards. Provide a safe harbor for doctors that follow
clinical guidelines and adhere to patient safety protocols.
- Protect the health care consumer through vigorous
enforcement of federal protections against collusion, unfair business
actions, and deceptive consumer practices.
John McCain believes that insurance reforms should increase the variety
and affordability of insurance coverage available to American families
by fostering competition and innovation. - Reform the tax code to eliminate the bias toward
employer-sponsored health insurance, and provide all individuals with a
$2,500 tax credit ($5,000 for families) to increase incentives for
insurance coverage. Individuals owning innovative multi-year policies
that cost less than the full credit can deposit remainder in expanded
health savings accounts.
- Families should be able to purchase health insurance
nationwide, across state lines, to maximize their choices, and heighten
competition for their business that will eliminate excess overhead,
administrative, and excessive compensation costs from the system.
- Insurance should be innovative, moving from job to home, job to job, and providing multi-year coverage.
- Require any state receiving Medicaid to develop a financial
"risk adjustment" bonus to high-cost and low-income families to
supplement tax credits and Medicaid funds.
- Allow individuals to get insurance through any organization
or association that they choose: employers, individual purchases,
churches, professional association, and so forth. These policies will
be available to small businesses and the self-employed, will be
portable across all jobs, and will automatically bridge the time
between retirement and Medicare eligibility. These plans would have to
meet rigorous standards and certification.
John McCain Believes in Personal Responsibility
- We must do more to take care of ourselves to prevent chronic
diseases when possible, and do more to adhere to treatment after we are
diagnosed with an illness.
- Childhood obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure are all
on the rise. We must again teach our children about health, nutrition
and exercise - vital life information.
- Public health initiatives must be undertaken with all our
citizens to stem the growing epidemic of obesity and diabetes, and to
deter smoking.
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