Strangely enough…. as poorly thought out and implemented as the Cash for Clunkers program is it actually is a very good concept for healthcare "reform".

This program sets aside a pool of money. American citizens can choose to use this money or not. They can use this money to buy a car of their choice, as long as it meets certain standards.

There is very little government interference in the choice of the consumer or the choice of the automobile dealer. The consumer can buy the car they want…the dealer is free to advertise its merchandise and to offer additional incentives.

Apply this concept to healthcare, but rather than create a pool of money from other people’s taxes the government can offer tax credits to individuals to pay for insurance. You can get the insurance that you want from the provider you want. The government will then offer up to "X" amount annually in tax credits to pay for it. This will modify your deductions on your W4 so you keep the money in each paycheck. It never goes to the government and thereby you do not need to apply for a refund to benefit from it.

To be eligible you need to be enrolled all year…any partial year enrollments are credited on a pro rated basis.

American citizens can choose their providers….companies are free to compete for new business and will likely see a rise in enrollments (driving down prices) as a result.

Of course we will still need to take additional steps to reduce the actual COST of healthcare (tort reform, reduced regulatory costs) but isn’t this is a great start?
zaza –

I voted for McCain albeit reluctantly. I was more inclined towards Mitt Romney the former Governor of my State.

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Reuters) – Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said on Saturday his 3.4 billion U.S. economic stimulus plan would rescue an economy on the "tipping point" of recession. His plan foresees 1.4 billion in stimulus to corporate America in measures that include permanently reducing the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent over two years and allowing businesses to depreciate the value of new equipment purchases faster.

McCain has voiced apprehension over proposals for temporary tax cuts and more spending as suggested by many Democrats and Republicans, saying they result in additional strains on resources. McCain has instead proposed cuts in corporate taxes from 35 percent to 25 percent, extension of Bush’s tax cuts, and elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was enacted to prevent wealthy taxpayers from using many deductions to avoid federal income taxes.
so not only does it seem they favor big business but it is actually their beleive that it is the best way to adress our economic issues.

i now understand how that 0.00 a year that the bush tax cuts have saved me is really due to the added economic growth due to the billions in tax credits given to oil corporations, who have used those credits to help keep the price of food, fuel and transportation down…… due to their brilliant development and research programs and the republican led business revival these oil giants some how managed to see historic profit margins. thanks to those wonderful incentives and republican management of the economy we have seen millions of jobs created
(minimum wage service sector jobs, which don’t come with a pension or 401k or health insurance….)
to make up for the higher pay industrial jobs which have been lost.

i was wrong, i don’t understand how i missed how much the wonderful job done by our leadership in washington had done for us