1. Inclusiveness – everyone should be covered
2. Efficiency – healthcare dollars should be spent on healthcare, not on administrative costs and not on excessive profits
3. Cost containment – inflation in healthcare costs must be controlled

A lot has been written about the healthcare proposals for the campaigns at this point. Perhaps, the biggest differences can be attributed to the differing philosophies of the two campaigns. The Obama plan favors an expansion of some public insurance programs (including mandating coverage for all children), while the McCain plan favors the private insurance market. As I wrote previously, I am not a big fan of the McCain plan in its current incarnation (as it is more likely to result in problems for individuals who are sicker) and favor Obama’s proposal as it is (as it expands current programs without shifting adults out of their current healthcare.)