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Elizabeth Edwards vs. John McCain on Health Care

April 01, 2008 9:53 PM

Speaking to the Association of Health Care Journalists on Saturday, Elizabeth Edwards said that she and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have something in common in addition to being cancer survivors: "Neither one of us would be covered by his health policy."

Edwards -- the wife of former presidential candidate and Sen. John Edwards, D-NC -- said that insurance companies, under McCain's proposal, "wouldn't have to cover preexisting conditions like melanoma and breast cancer."

Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, senior policy advisor to McCain, told the Los Angeles Times that, in the words of the Times, "Edwards' comments were disappointing and that they revealed she did not understand the comprehensive nature of the senator's proposal."

Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said McCain's policy would harness "the power of competition to produce greater coverage for Americans."

Competition would lower health care costs, Holtz-Eakin argued, thus costs for consumers with or without preexisting conditions would fall.

Writing on the liberal Web site ThinkProgress, he wrote that Holtz-Eakin "thinks I do 'not understand the comprehensive nature of the senator’s proposal.' The problem, Douglas, is that, despite fuzzy language and feel-good lines in the Senator’s proposal, I do understand exactly how devastating it will be to people who have the health conditions with which the Senator and I are confronted (melanoma for him, breast cancer for me) but do not have the financial resources we have. In very unconfusing language: they are left outside the clinic doors."

Noting that "Senator McCain likes to start speeches with a litany of questions that, presumedly, (sic) less plain-spoken politicians would refuse to answer" Edwards then offered "some questions he does not ask but, as that plain-spoken politician, he might want to answer:

"1. Under your plan, Senator McCain, would any health insurer be required to sell you or me (or those like us with pre-existing conditions) a health insurance policy?

"2. You say your plan is going to increase competition to the point that it actually lowers costs. Isn’t there competition today among insurance companies? Haven’t costs continued to go up despite that competition?

"3. You say that under your plan everyone is going to pay less for health insurance. Nice words, I admit, but they are words we have heard before. You must know when American families calculate the actual cost of health care, they have to include those deductibles and co-pays and not just the cost of the insurance. Are you talking about cheaper overall or just a cheap policy that doesn’t kick in until after thousands of dollars of deductibles have been paid?..."

I'll forward the questions to McCain's campaign and see if I can get any answers.

Without getting into the justice of the policy, I do wonder how much it would cost the average American if insurance companies were prohibited from considering preexisting conditions.

- jpt

April 1, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (87)

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It's not accurate to say that Elizabeth Edwards is a cancer survivor when she is now receiving treatment for terminal cancer. She is working very ardently on our behalf. Perhaps she hopes to see universal health care within her lifetime, however long she has left. May her dream for others happen. I can't help but notice, shall we say, attempts to splinter and sway Democratic supporters. But I really believe unity will prevail, and needed changes are close.

Posted by: katrina | Apr 4, 2008 1:08:17 AM

I think Edward's would be a very good FIMA director. He could reorganize it and place an enfaces on poverty.

Posted by: Tina D | Apr 2, 2008 5:19:07 PM

Hillary would never go Independent in 2008....But the election of a guy with no experience and no authenticity could pave her way in 2012.

Actually I think McCain will knock him off pretty handily.

After all how long can the mainstream media continue as an attack dog for Obama?...at some point they have to take responsibility for spinning an election.

More Republicans are created every day...We are tired of the war but we see the Obama spin machine for what it is.

Remember Wright? Research Rezco! You'll never get the story here.

Posted by: Jackie | Apr 2, 2008 5:05:52 PM

While Elizabeth Edwards does the heavy lifting on health care, Michelle Obama -- who's been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year as a corporate medical executive -- joins Teresa Heinz-Kerry to host a "Stand for Change" rally in Pittsburgh today. Go figure.

Posted by: Edgar Cayce | Apr 2, 2008 3:04:31 PM

necn.com:
"Harvard University's Institute of Politics has announced its Visiting Fellows for Spring 2008. Elizabeth Edwards, Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Andrew White will visit the Cambridge school.

Edwards, author and political advocate, will deliver a public address in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum on April 9 during her April 8-10 fellowship.

Edwards is the wife of former U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards."

Posted by: Navarro | Apr 2, 2008 2:28:41 PM

I've got two daughters -- 9 years old and 6 years old," Obama said. "I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby


And he exposes them to that hate filled church?

Posted by: geevill | Apr 2, 2008 1:37:39 PM

"PHILADELPHIA, April 2 (UPI) -- Abortion opponents say remarks by Sen. Barack Obama suggesting pregnancy is a punishment may hurt his chances to win the U.S presidency.

Obama, a Democratic contender and Illinois senator, told a town-hall meeting in Pennsylvania Sunday he would advocate sex education in response to a question about AIDS.

"I've got two daughters -- 9 years old and 6 years old," Obama said. "I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby"


Now Obama is throwing his unborn grandchild under the bus. "Punished with a baby". Mark that down. You will hear that one a lot if Obama is the nominee.

Posted by: geevill | Apr 2, 2008 1:36:10 PM

HoosierSue writes:
"But of course, MA also has Deval Patrick, another "hope and change" candidate from the mind of David Axelrod."
-----
Patrick's flamed out on mobsters and casinos. Acevedo Vila, another member of the Harvard "post-partisan" litter, has flamed out . . . mobsters again, and "campaign finance".

How complicated IS this?

The Democrats can nominate John Edwards. Pray that they do.

Posted by: Navarro | Apr 2, 2008 1:17:11 PM

For some Americans, this election is all about the economy and health care. Mrs. Edwards is in touch with the voters in this arena. If the DNC cannot resolve the issue of the disenfranchisement of the Florida and Michigan voters, you will see many Democrats change their party affiliation to Independent. Folks can say what they want, but in the end, we are electing a candidate, NOT a party. If Hillary does choose to leave the DNC, she would not loose support. So many Dems are tired of the DNC. We just want to elect a President who will move this country forward.

Posted by: Going forward | Apr 2, 2008 11:31:38 AM

...and fed up all those things you listed were built by the RNC on the premise of bringing back "dignity and morality to the white house"... all built on the status that the White House was in after all that "stuff" that happened.

So you are right...more than half.

Posted by: dl | Apr 2, 2008 10:58:39 AM

The numbers actually in the primaries don't say she can win as an independent... not even close... and the polls reinforce that even more but you all can throw that out there.

That would be the ultimate in self centered Clintonisms...and let me tell you...if she went independent you would see Rendell and all the rest take her down ...quickly. Because Darth Vader would be running amock.

Yer so crazy. I am starting to think you should keep on working for the Clintons these posts are doing her a lot fo good...lol.

and Bill would never let it happen...his legacy would be down the tubes at that point.

Posted by: dl | Apr 2, 2008 10:55:50 AM

Hillary on an Independent ticket, regardless who she ran with, would liberate the Dems from Dean Howard's incompetency and it would ensure Obama would not win the general election. Obama can not beat McCain, without the votes of Hillary supporters. On an Independent ticket in the general election, Hillary would have a decent chance of beating Obama and McCain. Just the facts based on her support and votes in her favor in the primary.

Posted by: Dear DL | Apr 2, 2008 10:50:48 AM

hmmm. half , dl. what about being "the uniter"(sound familiar), gay marriage, abortion, burning the flag, second amendment issues, prayer in school, etc.

Posted by: fedup | Apr 2, 2008 10:44:45 AM

I'm sorry Fed Up

The republicans didn't have "dignity back in the White House" as the center of their campaign? Whether you agree with it or not that was half of their arsenal.

Posted by: dl | Apr 2, 2008 10:31:39 AM

dl, polls in 2000 during the election process showed clinton with a 60+% approval rating. roughly the same number of people said they would re-elct him most people who studied the election felt gore would have done better if he had not tried to distance himself from clinton.
then there was florida...

Posted by: fedup | Apr 2, 2008 10:28:38 AM

Edwards would never run with Hillary on an independent ticket, I am pretty sure he wouldn't run on a democratic ticket with her (that I could be wrong about but you could even see in the Today show interview Mrs. Edwards defending Obama's healthcare plan and saying that this "fight they were reported to have" was "counterfeit" information that was being used by another campaign...hmmm.

...and I love the idea that you all think that Gore would be on a ticket with Sen. Clinton...you do all realize why he and many others think he lost more than any other reason... oh could it be the state the white house was in when the elections occurred.

LOL - you people are crazy.

Posted by: dl | Apr 2, 2008 10:22:39 AM

Hey Jack- When is the media going to cover the scenario- "If Hillary drops the DNC and runs in the general election with Edwards"...I bet the Obama camp would not be happy about that !!!

Posted by: Media Coverage | Apr 2, 2008 10:11:19 AM

I love it. All over the Internet today there is talk of Hillary dropping the DNC and running Independent. Now if we get Edwards or Gore to run with her...They could beat Obama and McCain...and our economy could be saved.

Posted by: All the Way | Apr 2, 2008 10:07:20 AM

hillary/edwards may well do okay like lieberman did.

Posted by: fedup | Apr 2, 2008 10:02:43 AM

geevil, guess we should add that HE inhaled!!!!

Posted by: fedup | Apr 2, 2008 10:01:09 AM

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