Elizabeth Edwards - John McCain's Health Plan Wouldn't Cover His Condition or Hers

by: mooncat

Wed Apr 02, 2008 at 11:14:13 AM CDT

It's nice to see Elizabeth Edwards giving public appearances again, and what better to talk about than health care.  Yesterday she was interviewed on the Today Show.

nyceve has more analysis of this facet of the health care debate: 

Let's focus for a moment on pre-existing conditions. Mr. McSame has government healthcare, his recurring melanoma is covered and treated thanks to the generosity of the taxpayers.  But the nonsense "plan" he is proposing if God forbid he were elected, allows insurers to continue to deny any of us with pre-exisiting conditions the healthcare which has kept him alive.

Capitol Hill Blue says this of McCain's plan:

This is the same old steal and spend Republican crap that doesn't work and has led us to over 50 milion people without health insurance and growing everyday due to Bush's failed economic policies that John McCain apparently embraces whole heartedly.

Think Progress has video and transcript from Elizabeth's appearance on Morning Joe yesterday:

BRZEZINSKI: So you’re saying Senator McCain wouldn’t get coverage under his own plan?

EDWARDS: Well, he’s the beneficiary of some great government programs, but in terms of private insurance, he would not be guaranteed coverage under his own plan.

BRZEZINSKI: Oh, OK.

EDWARDS: Neither would I or anybody with a pre-existing condition. Imagine how many families that involves across this country.

She also said “We’re not interested in health care insurance. We’re interested in health care. And there’s a real difference between the two. Maybe he keeps the price of the insurance down but not the cost of the health care itself.”

That's the bottom line in this debate -- getting care for people who need it, not just getting them insurance.  I spent 6 hours at the emergency room last night and was absolutely stunned at how few of the employees (care providers?) would actually meet my eyes as they walked by.  They gave every appearance of trying to avoid contact with the patients and family members.  It's unmistakable -- eyes straight forward or down, walk a little faster, don't smile or make any friendly gesture.  We had insurance, and we eventually got treatment, but the care was pretty scarce.  That may be the situation for a lot of health providers -- too little caring left in the equation. 

I won't even suggest that insurers are interested in care.  It's the Almighty Dollar or nothing for them.