Lynn and Barry Goldman, New Hampshire
Small Business Owners

Under Barack Obama's plan, self-employed people and small business owners like the Goldmans would get help getting access to health care in several ways:

* A new National Health Insurance Exchange would set up a pool of private plans and a public plan to give people like the Goldmans options for affordable care.

* Insurers would be required to cover "preexisting" conditions like Mr. Goldman's cancer.

* To provide insurance to employees small business owners would be eligible for a new Small Business Health Tax Credit.

Source: Obama-Biden Health Care Plan

Under John McCain's plan, people like the Goldman's would be encouraged to continue try to find affordable coverage on the open market, although McCain would make several changes that could hurt people like the Goldmans.

* Insurance companies would be less regulated, giving them more power to deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions like Mr. Goldman.

* To boost profits, insurance companies could "cherry pick" healthier customers by offering less expensive plans to younger people who have fewer health issues. Costs for people who need care for chronic illnesses would likely increase.

Source: SEIU analysis of McCain health plan.

Vital Signs: Reality Check on Health Care lets ordinary Americans talk about the challenges they face getting health care and spells out how they would be affected by Barack Obama and John McCain's health care proposals.