McCain has a “radical” healthcare plan

ABC News political analyst Cokie Roberts spoke today about health care on the campaign trail at a convention on clinical chemistry among healthcare professionals. Roberts said the American people are going to see a “robust” debate on health care for the presidential campaigns, and that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has a more “radical” healthcare plan then Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Roberts said that John McCain’s plan to get away from employer based healthcare plans and put families on individual plans is “radical.” While this plan frees up tax money and may create an open market for lower insurance rates, a Democratically held Congress will not approve it and public opinion is that individually based health care will be much harder financially, she said.

However, Obama’s patchwork healthcare plan is much more plausible, Roberts said. Smaller changes will work better and get through Congress faster then a large overall change, and universal healthcare won’t happen anytime soon.

Voters want something done about healthcare, but they aren’t sure exactly what they want, Roberts said. There is a very significant number of people who make less then $30,000 a year who can barely make their medical insurance payments, if they speak up and demand change then healthcare will become an important part of the campaigns.