McCain, Obama health plans scrutinized

With the presidential election just days away, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Kaiser Family Foundation have found that seven in 10 registered voters say major changes are needed in the U.S. health care system (Source: “Voters and Health Reform in the 2008 Presidential Election,” New England Journal of Medicine online, Oct. 30, 2008)

The story is included in a special section of the NEJM’s Web site devoted to health care and the election. Other stories included a critique of Sen. McCain’s health policy proposals by David Blumenthal, a supporter of Barack Obama. Likewise, McCain supporter Joseph Antos takes a critical look at the health care proposals of Sen. Obama.

Given the budget challenges facing the next president and Congress, however, passing health reform will be no easy task. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center projects that Sen. McCain's proposal would cost $185 billion in its first year, and $1.3 trillion over a decade; the numbers for Sen. Obama's plan were $86 billion and $1.6 trillion, respectively (Source: “Health-Coverage Plans Could Face Obstacles From Growing Budget Gap,” Wall Street Journal, Oct. 27, 2008).