John McCain is a huge disappointment. He is obviously out of touch with the health care crisis in this country. His attitude is, I believe, typical for too many who benefit from the excellent health care plans they recieve from their job situations. At this point in time, the insurance industry is largely in control of people's health care...who gets it and at what cost. People with pre-exsisting health care issues, common with older folks, can't even get health insurance at any price! Younger people who should be getting routine physicals to stay ahead of possible health issues, but work at jobs which don't pay enough to purchase insurance are constantly running the risk of sickness or injury with no coverage. People who share John McCain's approach to health care need to look at their own hypocritcal ways and open their eyes and minds to what is actually taking place in our country.

Sent by Allan Servoss | 2:55 PM ET | 04-17-2008

45 million people in this country are without health care (roughly ten percent of the population), like or not, we all bear the costs of the uninsured. McCain's approach is a continuation of the same economic morass. The smart move is incorporate the uninsured and get the costs under control. It's an external, working outside the equation and privatization is not a solution.

Sent by Chester | 3:46 PM ET | 04-17-2008

In the US, we spend about 50% more per capita than is paid in France for the best health care in the world. Unfortunately, what we get for our top dollar is service rated by the WHO as number 37 (after Costa Rica, number 36, but better than Slovenia, number 38). All the other first world nations deliver much better health care (lower death rates, longer life expectancy, etc.) with their socialized medicine (gasp!). Maybe, just maybe, our health insurance system is broken.

Sent by Gary | 3:53 PM ET | 04-17-2008

The "Health Care Crisis" in this country is a crock! Nothing more.

I've lived both in rural areas, and big cities. There is no lack (complete absence) of qualified doctors, nurses, and hospitals anywhere in this country. (They just charge more than you think they should.)

The only "crisis" here is people want FREE healthcare!

I am for the personal mandate!
Anyone who doesn't (or won't) take the necessary steps to insure themselves (and their family members) is short-sighted and living on borrowed time. People get sick, kids get hurt playing. It is a fact of life!

I like the idea of "portable insurance", something a person can take from job to job. For somepeople, that is exactly what they need (if they will pay for it!!!)

The people I've met that don't have insurance are spending their money to have a good time (more junkfood, newer car, bigger apartment)!

Free insurance IS NOT the answer!!!

Sent by Harold | 3:56 PM ET | 04-17-2008

Businesses, insurance companies, governments, all powerful institutions have not succeeded in controlling or cutting medical costs. Yet McCain and others of his way of thinking believe that somehow individuals will succeed in doing so. A pipe dream driven by cliches.

Sent by Mike Fleissner | 4:23 PM ET | 04-17-2008

When I heard this story this morning on NPR, McCain made a comment about how rich people like Bill Gates shouldn't get lowered health care costs because they can afford it out-of-pocket. But then I thought... would McCain himself, as a rich person, opt out of his job's health plan, and be willing to shell out the $300/month it costs for some prescriptions? As a former pharmacy tech, I've seen seniors shell out hundreds per month on necessary medications and it breaks my heart.

Did anyone else catch that comment?

Sent by Angela V | 4:45 PM ET | 04-17-2008

This 47 million figure that keeps getting thrown around is completely bogus. Lets at least be accurate and then we can find solutions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/business/04view.html?ex=1351832400&en=f118898ca72c3199&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

"Of course, millions of Americans have trouble getting health insurance. But they number far less than 47 million, and they make up only a few percent of the population of 300 million. Any reform should carefully focus on this group to avoid disrupting the vast majority for whom the system is working. We do not nationalize an industry simply because a small percentage of the work force is unemployed. Similarly, we should be wary of sweeping reforms of our health system if they are motivated by the fact that a small percentage of the population is uninsured."

Sent by deek | 4:46 PM ET | 04-17-2008

McCain is right in saying that the problem with the health care system in this country is the cost. We shouldn't be relying on an insurance system for something as basic and necessary as health care.

Can you say price caps? We would need neither insurance companies nor universal health coverage if prices were reasonable. And if that means that the pharmaceutical companies can't charge thousands of dollars for drugs that treat improvised diseases, well, GOOD.

Sent by Jody Sol | 5:38 PM ET | 04-17-2008

Why should we be paying for his healthcare now? Can't sugar momma provide for him?

Sent by P. Shears | 5:53 PM ET | 04-17-2008

since when did you care about accuracy, deek?

Sent by sem | 8:31 PM ET | 04-17-2008

Dear Tom Regan: I was just kidding when I suggested Deek was the blogger's creation. You're very inclusive and attract a good variety of opinion. It's just that Fred C. Call seems to have disappeared since Deek came on.

Sent by Mike Fleissner | 10:23 PM ET | 04-17-2008

the problem with the ny times article as a evidence is that it shows no math other than its assertion. argument by insinuation. very convincing. soooo Not.

i especially liked "To start with, the 47 million includes about 10 million residents who are not American citizens. Many are illegal immigrants."

so legal resident immigrants don't count as people? define "many." this is chuckie gibson quality thinking there.

Sent by tim in exile | 2:48 AM ET | 04-18-2008

Hilarious. Poor Tom gets accused of all sorts of things, Obama supporter one day, Clinton the next, neocon one moment, flaming commie seconds later.

And now he is accused of sock puppetry by being me. I don't know who should be either offended or flattered or both.

It's so very cornfusin!

Sent by deek | 12:51 PM ET | 04-18-2008

McCain's stance is terrifying. Rather than be afraid of my serious medical condition, I'm afraid of being thrown out of a ridicously expensive insurance plan through my employer to ... nothing. No insurance company would take me with my brain tumor, and I would die far sooner since only the elite could possibly afford health care in this so-called "developed" country. This fall's election gives me the chills!

Sent by Robert | 10:15 PM ET | 04-19-2008