MCCAIN'S HEALTHCARE

Will Increase Health Care Costs and Reduce Access.
McCain’s plan undermines existing employer-based health care and pushes workers into the private market to fight big insurance companies on their own. He will make health care premiums part of taxable income, creating a new tax for working families. His plan will reduce benefits, increase costs and leave many with no health care at all. (CBPP, 4/5/06; Health08.org, Forum, 10/31/07; Los Angeles Times, 11/20/07; Commonwealth Fund, 6/2005)

Children’s Health

McCain Voted To Cut, Eliminate, Restrict Health Insurance Coverage for Low Income Children and Pregnant Mothers At Least SIX Times.
[SCR 27, Vote #76, 5/21/97; S 949, Vote #149, 6/27/97; HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00; H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; S 3, Vote #45, 3/11/03; H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]

McCain Opposed Extending Coverage To Uninsured Children.
On October 31, 2007, after President Bush vetoed the first SCHIP reauthorization, McCain again opposed expanding SCHIP to millions of additional children. He voted against a motion to invoke cloture and bring the reauthorization forward for a vote before the Senate. The motion passed 62-33. [H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]

McCain Opposed Reauthorizing SCHIP And Providing Insurance For Millions Of Uninsured Children.
In August 2007, McCain voted against passage of H.R. 976, which would have reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). According to Knight Ridder, “The Senate proposal would provide coverage to 3.2 million” uninsured children and renew coverage for the 6 million children already covered by the program. The legislation passed 68-31. [H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; Knight Ridder, 8/2/07]

McCain Voted Against Allowing Uninsured Parents To Enroll In The Same Plans As Their Children.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment would allow states to expand coverage under the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP) to the parents of the children enrolled in the program. The amendment failed 51-47. [HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00]

Uninsured and Access to Care

McCain Opposed Expanding Health Care Coverage And Containing Rising Costs.
In 2004, McCain voted against an amendment that provided an additional $60 billion over five years to expand health care coverage. The amendment failed 43-53. [SCR 95, Vote #47, 3/11/04]

McCain Voted To Allow Medical Savings Accounts.
In 1996, McCain voted in support of an amendment that established medical savings accounts, which allow individuals to make tax deductible contributions to special accounts set up to pay medical expenses. The Washington Post reported critics’ attacks of MSA’s: “Opponents call them a lavish tax break for the rich and a bad idea for the country as the healthy and wealthy choose them and leave the poor and sick in the traditional insurance pool.” The amendment was defeated 52-46. [S 1028, Vote #72, 4/18/96; Washington Post, 4/19/96]

McCain Opposed Expanding COBRA Coverage to Retirees.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would have expanded COBRA coverage to include retirees whose employer-sponsored health care coverage was terminated and to provide a 25-percent tax credit for COBRA coverage. The amendment failed 30-68. [HR 4810, Vote #202, 7/17/00]

McCain Voted Against Providing Tax Credits to Small Businesses That Offer Health Insurance To Employees.
In 2000, McCain voted against considering an amendment that would have provided a tax credit to small businesses that offered health insurance coverage to their employees. The amendment failed 49-49. [HR 4810, Vote #205, 7/17/00]

McCain Opposed Requiring Health Plans To Pay For Post-Stabilization Services At Hospitals Under Certain Circumstances.
In 1999, McCain voted to require all group health plans to allow their participants to go to emergency rooms for treatment without prior authorization under the “prudent layperson” standard. McCain voted against requiring a health plan to pay for any post-stabilization services if a health plan could not be reached for instructions on further care within 1 hour after stabilization of a patient and if the care given met the regulatory definition for covered post-stabilization care currently used by Medicare and Medicaid for their health maintenance organization (HMO) participants (that definition is “medically necessary, non-emergency services furnished to an enrollee after he or she is stabilized following an emergency medical condition”). The amendment failed 47-53. [S 1344, Vote #201, 7/13/99]

McCain Voted Against Increasing Benefits For Children With Special Needs In The Social Security Act.
In 1997, McCain voted to table an amendment that would revise the Social Security Act to include additional benefits for children with special needs, including physical, speech and language therapy, and mental health services. The motion to table passed 57-43. [S 947, Vote #128, 6/25/97]

McCain Voted Against A $3,000 Tax Credit To Help Seniors Or Their Families Pay For Long-Term Care.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would increase the general estate tax exemption and provide seniors with long term care needs or their caregivers a $3000 tax credit phased beginning in 2001. The credit would be $1000 the first year and increase in $500 increments each year. Taxpayers with long term care needs, or with spouses or dependents with long term care need would be eligible for the tax credit. The amendment failed 46-51. [HR 8, Vote #193, 7/14/00]

McCain Opposed Providing $20 Billion Over 10 Years To Home Health Care Providers.
In 1999, McCain voted against an amendment to reserve $20 billion over 10 years for relief from the unintended consequences of the Balanced Budget Act on teaching hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health care providers, rural and other community hospitals, and other health care providers, by reducing or deferring certain new tax breaks in the bill. The motion was rejected 50-50. [S 1429, Vote #234, 7/30/99]

McCain Opposed a Measure to Create a New Program for Home and Community-Based Long-Term Care.
McCain voted against an amendment that would have created a new program to provide States with funds for home and community-based long-term care services for people with disabilities. [Vote #533, Motion Rejected 45-54, 104th Congress, 1st Session, 10/27/95]