The push for Obamacare has been profoundly disingenuous, to the point of mendacity. (Yes, yes, I know: Opponents have told some whoppers, too, such as that the bill pushes euthanasia. But it does open the door for health care rationing.) The push is very Clintonian, as in debating the meaning of “is.” Example, the continual assertion that we can keep our “current” insurance policies. That is true, but any time an individual or a business seeks to change an element of their current insurance, all bets are off and only government-approved plans could be purchased.
The MSM goes loyally along with most of this, acting as if its job is to get Obamacare passed. The most recent example is this supposedly edifying NYT health care blog by Kathryn Q. Seelye that purportedly separates out reality from myth about the current bills in Congress. From the blog:
The federal government will become directly involved in making personal health care decisions for the public (myth; Medicare does not make such decisions now);
But that is to change. There are to be centralized boards to set standards of care as a cost containment measure that will impact the treatment patients can and cannot receive. Indeed, in Medicare Obamacare would establish the Independent Medicare Advisory Council, or IMAC, which David Broder the left-leaning Washington Post punded admitted “could become as much an arbiter of medicine as the Fed is of the economy or the Supreme Court of the law.”
Seelye continues:
A public option that competes with private insurance companies will be too expensive for the nation to afford (myth; if anything, a public option will bring costs down);
Not for taxpayers it won’t! The public cost of Obamacare is set at well over a trillion dollars. Thus, even if overall spending on health care went down–a ridiculous notion since the goal is to add tens of millions of people–public spending will soar.
A public option will put private insurance companies out of business (myth);
Not according to Rep. Barney Frank. He says the public option is the first step toward getting a single payer system–which would put private insurance companies out of business.
The overhaul will cover more people by making cuts to Medicare (debatable; there are no cuts in Medicare benefits but the administration proposes to squeeze “waste” from the program).
Debatable!? The plans would explicitly cut $500 billion from Medicare and would reduce payments to physicians and hospitals. That, in turn, will adversely impact the treatment seniors receive under Medicare.
The real myth is that our mainstream media objectively seek to report facts and discern truth any more. And the American people know it, which is one reason why the newspaper business is dying.
September 1st, 2009 | 1:53 pm
Wesley: why do you continue to perpetuate the canard that the Obama plan “opens the door for rationing” when you know full well that health care in America is already being “rationed” — courtesy of our largest health insurers? It’s almost beyond comprehension that you can continue spreading such misinformation, and then blithely say “yes, yes, I know: Opponents have told some whoppers, too.” as if to suggest that your own disinformation doesn’t fall into that category.
September 2nd, 2009 | 12:26 am
HistoryWriter, this is from a Washington Times editorial of August 18, 2009
Regarding rationing by insurance companies: “There is no more rationing by private insurance companies than there is rationing at the grocery store. In a private system, consumers can buy more expensive health insurance plans if they want better benefits. Similarly, in a grocery store, if you want more food, you pay more money. There is no rationing in either case. Prices adjust until the amount people want is the amount that is provided.”
September 2nd, 2009 | 1:03 am
NO CO-OP’S! A Little History Lesson
Young People. America needs your help.
More than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of independents, and 72% of republicans). Basically everyone.
According to a new AARP POLL: 86 percent of seniors want universal healthcare security for All, including 93% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans. And 79% of seniors support creating a new strong Government-run public option plan, available immediately. Including 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans, STUNNING!! Senator Max Baucus, You better come out of committee with a strong government-run public option available on day one.
The History:
Our last great economic catastrophe was called the Great Depression. Then as now it was caused by a reckless, and corrupt Republican administration and republican congress. FDR a Democrat, was then elected to save the nation and the American people from the unbridled GREED and profiteering, of the unregulated predatory self-interest of the banking industry and Wallstreet. Just like now.
FDR proposed a Government-run health insurance plan to go with Social Security. To assure all Americans high quality, easily accessible, affordable, National Healthcare security. Regardless of where you lived, worked, or your ability to pay. But the AMA riled against it. Using all manor of scare tactics, like Calling it SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!! :-0
So FDR established thousands of co-op’s around the country in rural America. And all of them failed. The biggest of these co-op organizations would become the grandfather of the predatory monster that all of you know today as the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry. And the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry.
This former co-op would grow so powerful that it would corrupt every aspect of healthcare delivery in America. Even corrupting the Government of the United States.
This former co-op’s name is BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD.
Do you see now why even the suggestion of co-op’s is ridiculous. It makes me so ANGRY! Co-op’s are not a substitute for a government-run public option.
They are trying to pull the wool over our eye’s again. Senators, if you don’t have the votes now, GET THEM! Or turn them over to us. WE WILL! DEAL WITH THEM. Why do you think we gave your party Control of the House, Control of the Senate, Control of the Whitehouse. The only option on the table that has any chance of fixing our healthcare crisis is a STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION.
An insurance mandate and subsidies without a strong government-run public option choice available on day one, would be worse than the healthcare catastrophe we have now. The insurance, and healthcare industry have been very successful at exploiting the good hearts of the American people. But Congress and the president must not let that happen this time. House Progressives and members of the Tri-caucus must continue to hold firm on their demand for a strong Government-run public option.
A healthcare reform bill with mandates and subsidies but without a STRONG government-run public option choice on day one, would be much worse than NO healthcare reform at all. So you must be strong and KILL IT! if you have too. And let the chips fall where they may. You can do insurance reform without mandates, subsidies, or taxpayer expense.
Actually, no tax payer funds should be use to subsidize any private for profit insurance plans. So, NO TAX PAYER SUBSIDIES TO PRIVATE FOR PROFIT PLANS. Tax payer funds should only be used to subsidize the public plans. Healthcare reform should be 100% for the American people. Not another taxpayer bailout of the private for profit insurance industry, disguised as healthcare reform for the people.
God Bless You
Jacksmith — Working Class
Twitter search #welovetheNHS #NHS Check it out
(http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)
American HEROES!! :-) Click replay to play http://bit.ly/j31oU
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbWw23XwO5o) CYBER WARRIORS!! – TAKE THIS VIRAL
September 2nd, 2009 | 10:39 am
jacksmith:
I suspect there’s little point trying to convince you, but are you aware that something like 80-90% of the “DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT” hospitals and clinics in the United States are non-profit organizations? Most were founded by community foundations or religious organizations.
Also, many health insurance companies (including mine) are non-profit. And there are plenty of horror stories about the care provided by Great Britain’s NHS, perhaps the largest “STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION” in the world.
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