McCain or Obama? You’ll Be the Judge

ATLANTA–Last week various polls shifted up and down daily, but
according to most there are still only a few points between
presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

The results of HomeCare’s September Web poll–which asked
“Which presidential candidate’s health plan would be best for
the country?–reflect an even tighter race on this issue.

After 30 days and more than a thousand votes (1,068, to be
exact), results of the poll showed a dead heat, with 48 percent
voting in favor of McCain’s plan and 48 percent in favor of
Obama’s. Four percent of those participating said they weren’t sure
which candidate’s health plan would be best. The poll was open
Sept. 1-30.

While each candidate has outlined general areas of health care
reform, “neither Obama nor McCain has articulated any
specific or formal position regarding the immediate issues most
critical to our industry, such as the competitive bidding
program,” according to Cara Bachenheimer, senior vice
president of government relations for Invacare, Elyria, Ohio.
“These issues are far more detailed than campaigns usually
address,” she said.

Painting with a broad brush regarding their overall plans,
Bachenheimer said, “Obama prefers more government regulation
and universal coverage via expanding programs like SCHIP (the State
Children’s Health Insurance Program) and creating fallbacks, such
as a potential Medicare buy-in for all Americans.

“McCain supports a limited increase in regulation
(insurance market and prescription drug reforms) and the creation
of tax incentives to support expanded private coverage without a
defined benefit package. The McCain plan also emphasizes the need
to rein in health care spending nationally via cost controls and
revising federal payment systems.”

Check the October issue of HomeCare for Bachenheimer’s
complete report, which compares portions of the McCain and Obama
plans. And, be sure to vote for the candidate of your choice on
Nov. 4.