Where they stand

Here are some of Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s proposals for health care reform:

Obama

Would require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions

Offer employers a lower cost for catastrophic coverage if they lower premiums for employees

Require large employers who don’t offer health insurance to pay for a portion of a plan

Offer a tax credit for health insurance premiums for some income levels

Increase federal support of electronic health information systems

Make hospitals report costs, preventable errors and staff-to-patient ratios

Make insurance companies disclose amounts going to patient care and administration

Allow drugs sold in the United States to be imported from other countries where they are cheaper

Allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices

More information is available on the Web at barackobama.com/issues.

McCain

Would direct the federal government to work with states to develop a Guaranteed Access Plan, creating affordable coverage for low-income individuals and those denied insurance elsewhere

Emphasize increased federal research spending, prevention and early intervention for some chronic diseases

Encourage more “walk-in” clinics

Support increased use of electronic medical records

Give states more flexibility on Medicare and Medicaid

Give families a $5,000 tax credit to offset insurance costs

Rllow re-importation of U.S.-manufactured drugs from other countries where they are being sold cheaper

More information is available on the Web at johnmccain.com/informing/issues