According to Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Democratic presidential contender John Edwards, neither she nor John McCain would be able to get health insurance under Sen. McCain's health plan.  He, because he has been treated for melanoma.  She, because she has breast cancer.  Under McCain's plan, says Edwards, insurance companies "wouldn't have to cover preexisting conditions like melanoma and breast cancer."  [link]  Here's what she doesn't know: 

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Barack Obama had it right from the beginning.  Hillary's health plan, he said, would try to force people to buy something they cannot afford and then impose a heavy fine on them when they don't buy it.  At the end of the day, they will be worse off than they were at the outset. 

Now Hillary has a rejoinder.  She says she will limit the amount people have to pay in premiums to, say, 5% or 10% of their incomes [link].  What's wrong with that?  A lot.  Here are 10 problems that spring to mind. 

[To avoid the charge of hypocrisy, let me say upfront: I have always favored a kinder, gentler version of individual pay-or-play, outlined here and elsewhere.]

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It's a law of human nature. Whenever people start discussing health policy, their IQs fall by 15 points.

Exhibit A: Critics who complain that the US health care system outspends every other country and gets nothing in return and then advocate. . .(can it be?). . .more spending! For Sen. Obama, it's $60 billion more every year. For Sens. Clinton and Edwards, it's $120 billion - more than $1,000 per year for every household in America.

Exhibit B: Critics who complain that the error rate in US hospitals is way above anything that is tolerable in any other industry and then advocate more rules and regulations that would. . .(surprise!). . .make it more difficult for hospitals to operate like other businesses.

Exhibit C: Critics who complain that poor people have inadequate access to health care and then advocate enrolling them in health plans where. . .(you guessed it). . .they will have even less access than they have today.

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I served as one of the judges for the National Journal's recently published report card on the health plans of the leading Democrat (Clinton, Edwards and Obama) and Republican (Giuliani, McCain, and Romney) presidential candidates.

In some cases, my scores differed substantially from those of the other judges.  Apparently, some of them have not been carefully reading these Health Alerts.  Anyway, here is my take:

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Advice for Hillary

Her plan was released today. There are lofty goals, but not many specifics.

Twenty years ago Michael Dukakis campaigned for president with the boast, "I have insured everybody in Massachusetts." Of course he hadn't, and two decades later, everybody in Massachusetts is still not insured. Along the way there have been many other plans to create "universal coverage." They haven't worked either.

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I know I promised no more August commentaries, but Gov. Romney just released his health plan and everyone wants to talk about it. So here is my take.

Mitt Romney is the only U.S. politician who can credibly claim to have created universal health care coverage. His Massachusetts Health Plan may yet falter; but so far he has walked the walk, while his Democrat opponents have only chattered. He alone owns the health care issue.

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