Modern Hygienist - October 2008 - (Page 46)

life | POLITICS Presi-Dental politics Dental care is left out of both party’s healthcare plans, but now is the time for the industry to start speaking up. by Noah Levine If dentists and hygienists were choosing the next president based solely on which candidate has the better set of teeth, Democrat Barack Obama would win by a landslide. But informal polls show many dentists view the election in very different terms and back Republican John McCain, based on the belief that having him in the White House will be better for their bottom lines. Regardless of which candidate you support, the upcoming election is likely to have a major impact on the future of the dental industry. Before the nation’s economic crisis grabbed all the headlines, healthcare reform was one of the campaign’s biggest issues, and both topics are likely to receive attention from the next president. The candidates have put forward drastically different visions of how to reform the nation’s economy, taxes and healthcare, and either plan would have a major impact on dental practices across the country. THE PLANS McCain’s plan to overhaul the healthcare system includes tax rebates to allow individuals and families to purchase health insurance on their own. These rebates would be funded by a new tax on employer provided health benefits. His tax plan calls for across the board cuts with people and businesses in the top tax brackets seeing the largest monetary savings. The Obama healthcare proposal calls for income-based subsidies for uninsured individuals who would be able to buy into any of the various plans offered to federal employees or those available in the private sector. The subsidies would be partially funded by a fee assessed on businesses that do not provide healthcare benefits for their employees, but small businesses would also be given a 50% tax credit on the costs of providing healthcare to their employees. His tax plan calls for cuts for people and businesses earning less than $250,000 per year and tax increases for those earning more. Senator John McCain Republican, Arizona 72 years old Healthcare Soundbite: “$5,000 tax credit” johnmccain.com watch this! To hear Senator John McCain describe his healthcare plan, click on the video below. ON THE SIDELINES Neither candidate’s healthcare proposal makes specific mention of dental care or coverage, and 46 modernhygienist.com | October 2008 PHOTOS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008-JOHNMCCAIN.COM, OBAMA FOR AMERICA, JODIE COSTON/GETTY IMAGES http://www.johnmccain.com http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Multimedia/Player.aspx?guid=fe3aec25-65c6-453d-8a6d-f836d8575e2d http://www.modernhygienist.com http://www.JOHNMCCAIN.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Hygienist - October 2008

Modern Hygienist - October 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Letters News Modern Solutions Trends: Homecare Trends: Perio Trends: Ergo Trends: Mid Care After Chemo Professional Rewind Esthetic Expertise: Make or Break Relationship Hands-on Hygiene: Have You Seen the Light? Going the Distance Training for Life Presi-dental Politics Ad Index Moonlighting

Modern Hygienist - October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.