McCain’s Insurance Reform Plan May Lower Uninsured Numbers

Previously, we posted an article saying that John McCain’s proposal would cover only 2 million Americans. These numbers were reported by the Commonwealth Fund, which is more liberal leaning.

But there’s a competing report by The Lewin Group (not sure where their political bias leans) that showed Senator McCain’s plan would knock off 21 million Americans off the uninsured list by 2019, reported the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.

McCain’s plan would hit the 21 million figure by the fact of 24 million people using the tax credit McCain wants the government to provide. This tax credit is intended to help American’s buy their own individual health plans on the private market. It is thought that about 16 million workers will lose their group health insurance from their employers. the report was under the impression that new companies would step up and offer health insurance for the first time, offsetting at least some of the 16 million who might lose their coverage.

The study has had skeptics. The largest argument against the Lewin Group’s report is that people possibly being denied coverage in the private market because of pre existing health conditions as being a reality. The Lewin Group says it did account for this. Vice President of Lewin Group, John Sheils says, “The people who are sick are going to have a lot of trouble affording coverage, even with the credit.”

Americans between the ages of 19 to 34 make up about half of the uninsured. That same group are the ones that McCain will use to make up the largest number of people losing coverage from employers. The report is proving interesting, although numbers are possible being inflated.