TMP Online

U.S citizens do not benefit from universal health care provision, as we do in the U.K.  Whether or not you can obtain health care in the U.S largely depends on whether you have health insurance.

Two-thirds of Americans get private health insurance from their employers. Most of the elderly are covered by the U.S Federal government’s Medicare programme and 40 million of the poorest Americans benefit from the Medicaid programme. However, the Medicaid programme is means tested, which leaves many - an estimated 45 million - with little (or no) coverage at all. Those left out tend to be people in low-wage jobs or who work for businesses that cannot afford to provide private health care insurance for their employees.

This week, the Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, has put forward proposals for a universal healthcare plan. His far-reaching plan would provide every U.S citizen with health care and calls on government, businesses and consumers to share the costs of the programme.

Commenting on his proposals, Obama said,
“To help pay for this, we will ask all but the smallest businesses who don’t make a meaningful contribution to the health coverage of their workers to do so to support this plan”
He also said he would repeal “the temporary Bush tax cut for the wealthiest taxpayers” to help pay for the plan.

Obama’s plan retains the private insurance system but injects additional money to pay for expanding coverage. It would also create a National Health Insurance Exchange to monitor insurance companies in offering the coverage. Those who can’t afford coverage would get a subsidy on a sliding scale depending on their income, and virtually all businesses would have to share in the cost of coverage for their workers. The plan is similar to the one covering members of Congress.

Obama has been accused of being “policy light”. His team point to this and other policy proposals Obama has put forward, to rebut that claim.