McCain Unveils Health Care Plan

Sen. John McCain rejected calls for universal health coverage and reaffirmed his faith in the economic principles that have guided President Bush for eight years, declaring Tuesday that government's role in health care should be limited to kick-starting a competitive marketplace so people can buy their own insurance.

McCain dismissed his Democratic rivals' proposals for universal health care as riddled with "inefficiency, irrationality, and uncontrolled costs." He said the 47 million uninsured Americans will only get covered when they are freed from the shackles of the current, employer-dominated medical insurance system.

To that end, the presumptive Republican nominee would lure workers away from their company health plans with a $5,000 family tax credit and a promise that, left to their own devices, they will be able to find cheaper insurance that is more closely tailored to their health care needs.

"Insurance companies could no longer take your business for granted, offering narrow plans with escalating costs," McCain said in a speech at a cancer research center in Florida. "It would help change the whole dynamic of the current system, putting individuals and families back in charge, and forcing companies to respond with better service at lower cost."

Read Full Article (The Washington Post)