October 15, 2008 3:14PM # Not a Cost-Shift, but a Control-Shift By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) --- SHARE I’m reading left-wing critiques of John McCain’s health plan and coming across doozies like this one from the [Center for American Progress and Planned Parenthood](http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/pdf/womens_health.pdf): > Finally, the McCain plan would result in a greater proportion of health care costs being born by individuals and families. Because policies sold in the individual market typically feature less comprehensive benefits and higher cost-sharing requirements than policies sold in the large-group market, individuals and families who enroll in these plans will find themselves paying a greater share of their overall health care spending. Wildly wrong. Individuals and families already pay 100 percent of health care costs. They don’t just pay for out-of-pocket spending and the “employee share” of their health-insurance premiums. They also pay for the cost of government spending through higher taxes. And they pay for the “employer contribution” to their health-insurance premiums because [employers reduce workers’ wages](http://jhppl.dukejournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/33/4/707). The McCain plan would let individuals and families *control* a greater proportion of health-care spending — specifically, that “employer contribution,” which averages $9,000 for those with family coverage. For example, see [this](http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/10/03/2008-10-03_joe_bidens_health_care_whopper-2.html). Perhaps that is what the Left fears? ##### Related Tags [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).