USA Today Reports!
In a recent report by USA Today, 18 million U.S. residents claim to have individual health insurance. While this is great for a few, it is fraught with complexities for many others. The report said that the two presidential candidates, Sen. Barrack Obama and Sen. John McCain are aiming to improve conditions for those people who purchase their own coverage.
According to the USA Today report, if the problem in the individual market is fixed then it could definitely go a long way in increasing the span of health coverage in U.S.A. Experts working on the report cited three key issues that concern the individual health insurance market: the coverage costs, canceling of health coverage by health insurers in many states and the lack of coverage for applicants with pre-existing medical conditions.
Senator Barrack Obama, the Democratic Presidential nominee has proposed to allow people to buy individual health insurance in groups. David Cutler, Obama’s health adviser said that this change would permit small firms and individuals to enjoy the purchasing power of large firms. Also, Obama proposes to mandate that health insurance to patients with pre-existing medical conditions can not be denied by health insurers.
In the case of employees who get health insurance from employers, Senator John McCain has proposed to replace an income tax break with a refundable tax credit. This will be $5000 for families and $2500 for individuals in order to purchase private health insurance. This is meant to equalize those who purchase individual coverage with those who receive health insurance from employers.
