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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THIS is the guy who helped McSame on his "healthcare" proposal?!?One of the reasons that the cost healthcare is spiraling out of control (and out of the reach of millions of our citizens) is an over-reliance on ER visits. Preventive care is cheap care, and emergent care is expensive. Look at the European or Canadian models. Do they need to be slavishly copied? NO. Are they a good direction to take? Yes! Can we do better than EUR or CAN? YES!!!
..and ketchup is a vegetable
Wow!? What the heck is this guy smoking? Is he serious....I mean is he really serious??!! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! That's their solution to the healthcare issue? If this country doesn't elect Obama/Biden let's all just go sit in the nearest emergency room then. I'll definitely need to 'cause I'll go stark raving mad if they elect McShame.
I work in the medical field..and yes if you go to the emergency room they cant deny treatment..that does not mean you are"insured".You may be ableto get charity care,but that will only pay for the hospital fees.The doctors WILL bill you.I see it every day.
MCCAIN IS SOOOO OUT OF TOUCH..It makes me sick!!
Also a visit to the or is NOT HEALTH CARE
This is a Bush-ism at its finest: Don't solve the problem, simply change the statistics.
John McCain, More of the Same
if that is the republican health plan,then that is pathetic.
I guess he’s never heard of wellness care, annual physicals, mammograms, physical therapy, dentistry, vision care, chronic medication requirements, diabetes pumps, prosthetics, etc. ,etc.
Nor that you generally can't check into an emergency room without providing your health insurance information unless you are in a life-threatened state. Nor that emergency rooms provide triage and typically refer you off to your regular doctor for follow-up – for which you need insurance!
How cluefree and/or insenstive can you be? The Democrats should pounce all over this tonight.
LOL
Is Goodman a stupid. If everybody goes to the emergency for medical care no one will need insurance. Then they are not emergencies just clinics.
What about regular doctor visits. How are we supposed to pay for those? Dumb @!:&^$
Linda
Las Vegas, NV
As a Republican Physician I am becoming more and more ashamed by the health care philosophy of my party. An ER visit for a cold vs a primary care physician visit for a cold would have drastically different costs on the government. This was the whole idea behind the CHIP program that Bush blindsightedly vetoed. THE ER SHOULD NOT BE ANYONE'S PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. This wastes millions (probably billions) of dollars and makes the ER system so inefficient. This man is the biggest idiot and needs to research the situation. Preventative medicine and better access to care could save the government so much money. I'm seriously reconsidering how I plan to vote this fall.
How many stories do we see a month about the person in the emergency room who was ignored? Want to make a bet that the ignored individuals don't have insurance and was covered by EMTALA?
The really, really stupid part of this comment is that the use of emergency rooms for non-emergency care is one of the reasons that health care is so NOT affordable for many people. And preventative care that everyone was able to use would prevent some of the minor stuff from turning into a crisis – i.e. more expensive.
McCain has had everything scanned, poked, prodded, tested. The insurance our Congress critters receive even covers photos and physician commentary of his buttocks. (Yup heard it on CNN.)
How much did WE pay for that?
McCain promises nothing but 4 more years of the same and THAT is why he's going to lose.
This statement on healthcare shows just how out of touch McCain and his advisors our with most Americans. I work in the healthcare industry and there are millions of people of all races, especially our elderly population, without any healthcare. Receiving care in the Emergency Room is what has our healthcare system going bankrupt.
How ridiculous of a statement; these people can not be allowed to run our country. They can not identify with the issues in this country!
Are you kidding me!! Well I can't be surprised those are the ignorants republicans!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am sure the fine nurses, doctors and emergency room staff will be so happy to hear this plan from the John McSenile campaign. I was in the emergency room lately, they were so swamped, they told me there was hardly time to go to the restroom.Another one of McSeniles out of touch advisers, add his name to Phil Gramm. PUMAs this is your man,LOL. OBAMA/BIDEN 08
Connie from Indiana
CNN Censorship is against my rights as an AMERICAN
Stop cutting my posts –
CNN
If you have any respect for the AMERICAN PEOPLE, you will ensure that NONE OF YOUR TALKING HEADS........NONE...........WILL ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH McCain's DESPERATE ATTEMPT ONCE AGAIN, TO GRAB BARACK'S LIMELIGHT!
If you have any respect for the AMERICAN PEOPLE, you will tell your reporters NOT TO MAKE ANY ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT McCAIN'S VP PICK AT ANY POINT TODAY/NIGHT DURING THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION, YOU HAVE ALREADY CROSSED THE LINE WHEN YOUR REPORTERS INTERVIEWED A REPUBLICAN ON THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION FLOOR DURING THE FIRST DAY OF THE CONVENTION!
EVERYONE HAS SOME HEALTH INSURANCE!?
WHAT AJOKE. ASA RN I KNOW.
PEOPLE PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OUT OF THEIR POCKET TO GET EMERGENCY SERVICES.
VOTE OBAMA
Forget the mental recession – Goodman suffers from a mental vacuum! Let them eat cake, indeed.
All the Democrats care about is what's "fair"...well, how is it fair to require me to pay for tax credits, bailouts, etc. for people who a) don't have a job or b) made poor decisions or c) don't care enough to find a job?
If you made a mistake and bought too much house and had to foreclose...it's not my problem!
If you don't have a job and, as a result, don't have healthcare...it's not my problem!
If you're too ignorant to realize that oil companies are entitled to their meager 8-10% profit margin because THEY WORKED FOR IT...it's not my problem.
If you're simply too lazy to find a job and want to find "prosperity" from government handouts and "tax" credits (if you don't pay into the system, you shouldn't get anything out of the system)...again, NOT MY PROBLEM!
SORRY I MEANT "ER" NOT "OR"
This is a joke, right?
McCain is a fool. Nuff said!!
Goodman isn't an advisor to McCain. TNR is reporting Goodman isn't an advisor to McCain. Please post a correction.