If I understand McCain's health care program correctly, it seems to me that there are a couple of simple and glaringly obvious problems with it.   He says he'll give people a $5,000 tax credit when they buy health insurance.

Well, that's very nice. But—

First, you have to have enough money to ante up for the health insurance in the first place. If you can't afford to do that, you don't get the $5,000 tax credit. And second, it's not as if he's going to send you a check for $5,000. You just get a $5,000 credit on your income tax. In short, if you buy health insurance, you can deduct up to $5,000. I vaguely remember that you are already allowed to deduct health insurance premiums from your income tax.

So what's THIS all about?

If I don't understand McCain's health care program correctly, can someone please enlighten me better than McCain himself has?

Don Firth