Why the Left Is Wrong About the McCain

Plan
The left claims that Senator McCain’s health care plan will result in millions of Americans losing health insurance
coverage. This just isn’t true. Let’s take a typical middle class American and show you why.

Employee Wages $50,000

Health Benefits $12,000
Total Compensation $62,000

Cu rren t Pla n Mc Cai n’ s Pl an

Taxed Compensation $50,000 Taxed Compensation $62,000

Federal Income Tax (25%) $12,500 Federal Income Tax (25%)* $10,500
After-Tax/After-Health Compensation $37,500 After-Tax/After-Health Compensation $39,500

Difference: $2,000 in additional after-tax compensation

The same is true if the employee purchases their health care on their own. Total Compensation remains at
$62,000 and the employee still receives the $5,000 tax credit. In fact, many emp loye es cou ld see th eir
Aft er- Tax/ Af ter -Heal th Co mp en sa ti on i ncrea se by even m ore , as often times they are able to find
coverage for less than that provided by their employer.

This plan is an important step in removing the bond between employment and health insurance coverage. Far too
often employees become enslaved by their employers because of a need for continuing coverage. More steps are
needed to solve this problem though.

*This represents $15,500 dollars in federal taxes less the $5,000 refundable tax credit.

Information in the document is based on James C. Capretta’s piece “Biden’s Phony Health Care Argument” from
The New Atlantis’s health care blog Diagnosis. http://www.thenewatlantis.com/blog/diagnosis/bidens-phony-
health-care-argument
Document created by Brian Simpson. Contributor to The Minority Report. http://www.theminorityreportblog.com