The Lewin Group Presents 'McCain and Obama Health Policies: Cost and Coverage Compared...( WASHINGTON Oct. 8 -- The Lewin G...),Health

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Lewin Group released an independent comparative analysis of the proposed McCain and Obama health care reform plans today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The report is posted on The Lewin Group Web site at http://www.lewin.com.

The firm is nationally known for its work in designing and evaluating health care system reform proposals on coverage and costs for the federal government, state governments, private employers and households. Key study findings include:

1. Lewin projects that by 2010, there will be 48.9 million people without

health insurance under current law. The McCain health plan would reduce

the number of uninsured by 21.1 million people while the Obama plan would

reduce the number of uninsured by 26.6 million people.

2. Both plans result in large, new public costs for the federal government.

The McCain plan would cost $2.05 trillion over the 2010 through 2019

period. The Obama plan would result in a net federal cost of $1.17

trillion. Neither candidate provides specifics on how to fund this net

federal cost.

The candidates have decidedly different visions for the future of health care in the U.S. The McCain plan focuses on expanding private insurance coverage while the Obama plan would expand coverage under public programs. Findings include:

1. The McCain plan increases private coverage by 26.5 million people by

providing refundable tax credits ($2,500 single; $5,000 family) for the

purchase of private insurance, including individuals purchasing non-group

coverage. Public coverage would fall under the McCain plan by 5.4 million

people as Medicaid enrollees become covered under private insurance.

2. The Obama plan increases the number of people with public insurance by

48.3 mill
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