McCain's Anti-Family, Anti-Marriage Healthcare Plan

Miriam Axel-Lute — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMT

McCain's "healthcare plan" appears designed to punish both marriage and childbearing. And no, I don't just mean because it won't actually provide universal coverage or address the market failures of privatized health insurance. I mean even if you do it the courtesy of taking it on its own terms.

McCain's plan involves refundable tax credits that can be used to purchase health coverage—in the amounts of $2,500 for an individual and $5,000 for a family.

In other words, the McCain campaign thinks it doesn't cost anything to insure children.

The plan was announced back in April, but I haven't seen anyone do this apparently obvious math: The average cost for a family health insurance plan is nearly three times that of the cost for a single person's plan. It's definitely more than the double they're offering.

But McCain's plan would give families no additional resources beyond what a married couple (or an unmarried couple for that matter) get. Am I missing something?

It's even possible that if parents chose not to marry they could score $7,500, if the family rate also applies to unmarried parents with children. And here I thought Republicans were supposed to be trying to get rid of marriage penalties in the tax code.

But I suppose we shouldn't expect anything better from a guy whose (supposedly former) healthcare advisor thinks that no one in America can be called uninsured as long as they won't be turned away at the (government-subsidized) emergency room.

Photo, "One Stop Shopping," by swanksalot.

Canada Offers Tax Credits For Childhood Fitness

Patti — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 00:20:00 GMT

Is it me, or is Canada taking some serious steps toward dealing with their childhood obesity problems? Promoting physical education in the schools (much to the dismay of wingnuts) is one step, and beginning this year, implementing a national program whereby Canadian parents can earn a tax credit of up to $500 per child to offset the costs of enrolling their children in fitness courses. There's an eligibility requirement, of course, but essentially Canadian kids will be able to go to hockey camp or karate school and have it at least partially subsidized by the government.

Canada has reason to be motivated to get its children healthy: they've got that publicly funded healthcare program that American liberals are always drooling over, so it's in their best interests to keep Canadians in good shape. It remains to be seen whether the US follows suit, even if Canada's tax credit proves to be a success. My guess, unfortunately, is that we won't.

via Vancouver Dad

Strollerderby : tax credits

McCain's Anti-Family, Anti-Marriage Healthcare Plan

Canada Offers Tax Credits For Childhood Fitness