From Yahoo! News:

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate John McCain outlined a proposal on Thursday to revamp the U.S. health care system by providing Americans with a refundable $2,500 tax credit as an incentive to buy insurance.

McCain’s plan offers voluntary solutions to fixing health care in the country, where the high cost of care has meant millions of Americans are unable to pay for health insurance.

McCain warned the U.S. health care system is facing a “perfect storm” of problems that if not addressed by the next president will cause the system to implode.

The basic premise:

McCain, who is running behind key rivals in the race to be the Republican presidential nominee in the November 2008 election, said he would provide individuals with a $2,500 tax credit, $5,000 for families, as an incentive to buy health insurance.

McCain said he would promote open health care markets by letting providers practice nationwide, rather than restricting them regionally. This would allow families to purchase health insurance across state lines and through any willing sponsor.

No big deal, but I think it’s a positive step actually. This is as opposed to Hillary-care or any other government-run program. Tax incentives provide people a good reason to research and buy health insurance. However, it doesn’t do anything for states like New York where health insurance is too regulated and private companies don’t offer decent insurance.

If a candidate could fix the New York State health insurance system, then I’d listen. By fix, I don’t mean mandatory federal health insurance either.