5000 Doctors for Obama & the Healthcare Perfect Storm
By: vesilv
Published On: 10/5/2008 1:13:05 AM
Cross-posted on my personal blog. Part of a 33-day series on healthcare, the election, and who gets it.
This doesn't even need an introduction, really:
At a level unprecedented in modern American history, physicians and medical students
from across the nation, from private practice and academic medicine, have come together
to sign a letter in support of the Obama health plan. [Doctors for Obama]
This really is a perfect storm. Obama speaks (in VA!) for 40 minutes - in detail - on health policy, and McCain's middle class health tax. Palin fumbles like crazy on healthcare in the debate. Studies predict that Senator Obama's plan will insure 34 million uninsured Americans, and others predict McCain will kick 5,000,000 off of the rolls of the insured altogether. Doctors endorse Obama in record numbers:
Over 5,000 physicians and 1,300 medical students have signed so far from all 50 states, including many of the nation's most prominent leaders in healthcare. This is believed to be the largest number of physicians ever to endorse a candidate for political office. [DfO]
And what does John McCain do? Runs away from the issues and attacks Senator Obama's character.
A quick rundown of the candidates' healthcare plans after the jump...
I have posted a list like this before, but I've added a few things and I think it's useful:
The Obama-Biden Plan (Highlights):
The McCain-Palin Plan (Highlights):
- -Predicted to kick 5,000,000 off of the roles of the insured.
- -Predicted to force 20,000,000 out of their employer health plans, many of whom would be forced into inferior, nongroup plans.
- -Will put a time-bomb health tax on middle class families that increases over time - an average of $1,100 in extra taxes by 2013 for a family making $60,000/year. In some states, it's higher - $1500 in VA!
- -Has no plan to finance this - except more tax cuts.
- -Has no plan to insure children - after all, he did oppose funding for SCHIP, the children's health initiative.
- -Has no plan to address disparities in care across gender, economic and racial lines.
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