The senior medical advisers for presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama debated the issue of national health care yesterday in the Dome Room of the Rotunda.
Irwin Redlener and William Winkenwerder, Jr., who advise Obama and McCain, respectively, began by recognizing the pressing need for healthcare reform — about 47 million Americans are currently uninsured, and the cost of health coverage is increasing at more than twice the rate of inflation. They agreed that even with the nation’s pressing financial issues and the debate surrounding the proposed $700 billion bailout package, medical insurance is an issue of which voters in the upcoming election need to be aware.
This, however, was largely where their agreement ended. Redlener spoke first, outlining Obama’s plan for a new healthcare system.
Obama plans to control the cost of health insurance and improve the quality of covered medical care, Redlener noted. Under Obama’s plan, Americans would have the choice of opting into a government-run health insurance program or of keeping their existing provider. Redlener emphasized that Obama is not advocating a system in which the government makes medical decisions, but instead one in which doctors work with patients under a federally run system.
Redlener said Obama would need a yearly budget of $110 billion to effectively implement the plan, which Obama would finance in two ways: by cleaning and modernizing administration and by slightly raising taxes for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.
Winkenwerder spoke next, arguing against Obama’s plan and detailing McCain’s reform ideas. He said McCain would implement a “system of care where everybody can afford the healthcare that they need ... [It would be] fair to all and provide help where need is greatest.”
McCain wants to address the healthcare problem by encouraging insurance companies to compete by allowing them to sell insurance plans across state lines. Each family would receive $5,000 — or $2,500 for individuals — to be sent directly to a provider of their choosing, reducing their dependence on employer-based coverage. Winkenwerder said mobility — the ability of an employee to leave to a new job and keep his existing insurance — would also be a major advantage of healthcare under McCain’s plan.
During a question-and-answer session that followed debate, the advisers were asked how soon their respective candidates hoped to provide “affordable healthcare for all.”
Winkenwerder answered that in the first four years of his presidency, McCain hopes to cut the number of uninsured citizens in half.
Redlener noted that Obama plans to insure 30 to 35 million of the uninsured in the next four to six years.
Fourth-year College student Hannah Green said she was impressed with Obama’s overall plan.
“It offers more options to keep up with inflation, without forcing families to save for their own healthcare,” she said. “It offers a safety net.”
Third-year Medical School student Thomas Mendel was more cautious about accepting Obama’s ideas.
“If Obama’s plan could maintain its structure [and] continue, I would lean that way, but I’m concerned about the $110 billion,” he said. “When everyone wants to be under government insurance that number is going to start looking a lot higher.”
Before concluding, both representatives reiterated their respective campaigns’ commitment to the improvement of the American health insurance system, no matter what the form.
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