McCain adviser: Everyone in U.S. has some health coverage
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/08/12/art.mccain0812.ap.jpg caption="A McCain adviser speaks out on the uninsured."]
(CNN) - A health care policy adviser for the McCain campaign told a newspaper reporter that nobody in the United States is technically uninsured, because everyone has access to hospital emergency rooms.
"So I have a solution [to the health care crisis]. And it will cost not one thin dime," John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, told the Dallas Morning News in an interview published Thursday.
"The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American – even illegal aliens – as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care. So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved."
Hospital emergency rooms cannot technically turn away anyone for financial reasons.
"So instead of producing worthless statistics that people fling around in vacuous editorials and pointless debates, the Census Bureau should produce meaningful numbers, identifying all of the sources of funds people will draw on if they need medical care," said Goodman, who helped write McCain’s health care plan.
That plan would use a combination of tax incentives and market competition to make health care more affordable. It is not a universal health care plan – it does not guarantee insurance coverage for every American.
Read more: Goodman talks to the Dallas Morning News
Take a look: Candidates' health care plans
UPDATE: McCain's campaign says they do not consider Goodman to be an official campaign adviser.
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I pay $7,300.00 a year for medical insurance (I'm one of the LUCKY(?) ones to even have insurance?) and this $7,300.00 a year does not EVEN COVER a pap smear. Next time I'll just go to the E.R. for my preventive medicine.
It is beyond me how anyone could seriously entertain the idea of voting for John McCain.
Obama08
Hoping this will come out of moderation...
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There are about five posts on here from like-minded idiots who think this is absolutely correct. You all are in need of mental health services…think you'll get them at your local emergency room?
And Kelly, you can try to disavow this moron, but the horse is out of the barn already. "John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, a right-leaning Dallas-based think tank. Mr. Goodman, who helped craft Sen. John McCain's health care policy"
I'm going to bet that we hear that Mr. Goodman doesn't speak for John McCain, just like John McCain doesn't speak for John McCain.
WOW...
if everyone used the emergency room, that would make the wait 20 times longer. What idiot from the McCain camp said this? They are out of touch!!!
So McCain's top advisor on heath care wants to solve the health care problem in the U.S. by changing the way people are categorized so that no one will be categorized as not having health care, so in the real world he will change nothing but declair "Voila! Problem solved." This is unbelievable!
This is just as bad as McCain's "former" top economic advisor calling us a country of whiners about the economy. "Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care. So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved."
as the campaign goes on voters will see how much what sen. obama doesn't say will cost you. when they debate and sen. obama as to explain his proposals in detail you will see how fragile they are and how they have little chance of being implemented.energy rebates are tied in to windfall profits no windfall no rebates even with windfall litigation and implementation cost would be prohibitive. money saved from ending the Iraq war are again based on their not being any other commitments in the world and the cost of the Afghanistan war not rising what are the chances of that happening. look at all the proposals and you'll find that the majority are based on if's which comes down to just words.
Since McCain and his band of robbers only get the best physicians looking after them whenever they need anything, I guess they would have no clue about the rest of the people and their health care situations. – WORSE than out of touch and 45% of Americans are thinking of voting for these clowns???? What does that say???
The Obama campaign should stop being nice and attack Mccain on issues such as this. They should make on this which says:
Mccain's health care plan:
Wait till your health reaches a crisis and only then walk into an emergency room.
The mccain person forgot that whether you walk into an emergency room or not the patient will have to foot the bill if they have no insurance coverage.
They may not be able to turn you away but they sure can watch you die. Look what happened to that Lady in the New York hospital. SHe died in the emergency room waiting for care. YEAH!! That is the universal healthcare we need.
This is so sad................................
does anyone know when the funeral for McSames campaign is going to be?
"They take pride in being ignorant" we cannot be fooled again people!! So basicaly under McDrafts health plan he would do away with employer backed programs leave us with a $5,000 to get our own health insurance which is sky high and will leave people without...but have no fear people crowding into the ER with preventable issues is the answer...all we have to do is re-word it.
Thank you Mccain for letting us in on your brilliant advisors...I cannot believe this man has almost half the country's vote...this needs to be all over the news.
McCain say that he is ready for the office as long if we do not get sick for the next four years.
Did McCain get his melanoma treated in an emergency room?
What? This has to be a joke right?
What part of EMERGENCY does he not understand?
MONEY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE IT mC CAIN IS OUT OF HERE OBAMA 08
OMG – honestly? Is this going to be the health secretary?
Wow. Just wow. I think the McCain campaign just handed Obama the health care issue - they would have to be idiots to ever bring it up again after this display of backwards reasoning. Wow.
This is the clearest demonstration yet the Republicans and their leadership just don't get it. This is shocking and disgusting. They don't deserve our votes!
This is John McCain’s health care policy advisor? What an idiot! It’s treating people like dogs. What's next, euthanasia if you're really sick?
I’m speechless.
Are you kidding?? I work in healthcare and the Emergency Rooms are already terribly over crowded, is this idiot suggesting that when you have a cold to run to an ER and plug it up using it as a Dr visit??
What a typical out of touch response to a HUGE problem from some wealthy politician who has never had to go without. You and the bleating sheep that cluelessly follow you and allow you to spoon feed them what you want them to hear make me sick!!! I pray, everyday that the Bloated, Corrupt current administration is soon gone and we get Obama/Biden in to try and fix the mess you made of our country.
This is the most ridiculous, idiotic statement I have ever heard in my entire life. Seriously?!
people who are commenting about foreclosures and how obama is exaggerating the economy are talking about a separate issue. If mccain sends people to the ER as his answer then YOU joe-tax payer will be paying for it, and paying MUCH more then if they actually addressed the problem instead of "re-categorizing".....changing the name of the problem wont "make it go away".......people cant be that ignorant, do all you republicans want to pay for the most expensive health care option out there???? i thought that went against the idea of people taking responsibility for themselves, ay!
These republicans have no soul.