Guest Blogger: John A Perez, Democratic Nominee for California’s 46th Assembly District
In recent weeks we have all been hearing about new economic lows every day. Jobs are disappearing by the thousands every day across this country. Home foreclosures are up, huge banks are failing and nearly every economic indicator points to trouble or bad news.
The two candidates for president have fundamentally different approaches to solving these problems.
Health care is one area where the two candidate approaches are vastly different and have glaring inequalities.
We are less competitive as a nation because of high health care costs and we are suffering economically because we can’t compete with nations whose businesses don’t have high health care costs. Both of these issues are reasons for the economic mess we find ourselves in today.
Barack Obama has a plan for health care that reduces costs, allows you to keep your insurance if you like it and his plan requires coverage for pre-existing conditions.
John McCain has a different approach and it’s one that would hit Latinos especially hard.
Latinos are disproportionately affected by hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. The McCain plan would deny coverage to these individuals because of their pre-existing conditions, and cast them, into the open insurance market if they can even afford or buy coverage.
We all know that’s a bad idea.
John McCain wants to tax your health care benefits for the first time ever in history. Just like income. This combined with the number of people who would be denied coverage would destabilize the entire health insurance system, possibly throwing even more people into the ranks of the uninsured.
That’s a bad idea, too.
You won’t hear about this part of McCain’s plan in his speeches, but he has a plan to give away the tax credits he’s promising you. McCain’s not talking straight about his health care tax.
John McCain promises American families a $5,000 refundable tax credit for health care. What he’s not telling you is that the credit goes directly to your insurance company, not to you, leaving you to pay the McCain health care tax on your own.
The Obama Plan:
ALLOWS YOU TO KEEP YOUR CURRENT DOCTOR AND PLAN
If you like your current doctor and plan, you can keep it. If not, you can
purchase a new, separate health care program.
CUTS HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES
Obama’s plan takes on insurance companies to cut costs for the
typical family by up to $2,500 per year. It gives small businesses a
tax cut to provide health insurance for employees.
UNLIKE McCAIN’S, OBAMA’S PLAN DOES NOT TAX YOUR HEALTH CARE BENEFITS
Obama pays for his plan by letting the Bush tax giveaways for the rich expire.
OBAMA REQUIRES COVERAGE FOR PRE-EXISITNG CONDITIONS
Insurance companies will be required to provide coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
Research the Facts and Vote.
I ask that you check these things out for yourself. Don’t just take my word for it. The Obama health care plan can be found at www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare
Check out the McCain healthcare plan here: www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ba2f1c-c03f-4ac2-8cd5-5cf2edb527cf.htm
John A. Perez is the Democratic nominee for California’s 46th Assembly District, which includes heavily Latino populated areas such as Boyle Heights. He has dedicated his career to helping working families in his 15 years working for labor unions, most recently serving as UFCW political director. John’s battles for both labor and the LGBT community have prepared him well to be the first openly gay male from Southern California and the first openly gay Latino in history to be elected to the State Assembly. In addition, John serves as an elected member of the Democratic National Committee.
We would like to thank John A Perez for his participation in our guest blogger series and for offering his insight on John McCain and Barack Obama’s Health Care Plans and their impact on the Latino community.
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