Obamacare

Here's an editorial comment by Sen. Barack Obama published in the Boston Globe explaining his health care plan.

An editorial on May 30 stated that my universal health care plan would not cover everyone. That's simply inaccurate. My plan will cover every American.

Under my plan, the uninsured can buy health care similar to what federal employees have. No one would be denied health insurance because of preexisting conditions or illnesses. If you cannot afford insurance, you'll receive a subsidy to pay for it. If you have children, they'll be covered. If you change jobs, your insurance will go with you.

Once this plan is implemented, if you're still not covered, we'll find a way to cover you. We have the resources set aside to cover everyone.

But a truly universal plan cannot stop at coverage. It must take unprecedented steps to address the skyrocketing cost of health care. And my plan will cut the cost of every family's premiums by up to $2,500.

The major reason that 45 million Americans don't have health care is not that they don't want it, it's that they can't afford it. If we require people to purchase insurance before we bring down its cost, we'll make a bad problem worse.

If we want to cover everyone, we must cut costs for everyone.

Senator Barack Obama

It seems like the important elements in Obama's plan that will determine its success if implemented will be determining what people can "afford," and how subsidies are dispersed.

If people don't agree with the government on what is an affordable plan, then many may still opt not to buy health care insurance. So a good plan would probably have to err on the side of caution in determining what people will pay for health insurance.

Also, for those who can't afford insurance, will they have to wait in long "welfare" lines, or present vouchers in the way one uses food stamps? Many people won't do that unless absolutely necessary. However, if the process relatively private and simple, it likely will be successful.