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Here Come the Big Lies About Health Care Reform |
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We noted a few days ago how the private insurance industry was set to unleash its attack dogs on health care reform to try to kill a public health insurance plan option as part of President Obama’s health care reform initiative.
Those dogs have started to bark.
Yesterday, the fake group, Americans for Prosperity (AFP)—another one of those astroturf names meant to appeal to All of Us—launched a $1.7 million TV ad campaign claiming we may all die if Obama’s health care reform proposals are enacted.
The ads don’t even skirt the neighborhood of the truth, but then, as Robert Borosage wrote last week, the health care industry has a long history of “trying to scare the hell out of Americans” when it comes to health care reform.
The ads conjure up the boogeyman of a “government-run” health care system where patients will die as their cancerous tumors grow to fatal stages while they wait months to receive care. Scary stuff. Phony, but meant to scare us all.
A public health plan option has won the endorsement of major health care groups and many senators and representatives and is a key component of the AFL-CIO’s health care reform principles.
It would provide workers who have private insurance and those without insurance a choice in coverage: Stay with their private plan or choose the public plan option. It would also—which scares the hay out of the private insurance industry—provide some competition for an industry that has secured a near-monopoly of the market and recorded record profits, while we are paying more for less care.
The Wall Street Journal reports that another group, Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, is buying air time for a 30-minute Sunday morning infomercial featuring “horror stories” about the Canadian and British health care systems and warning the U.S. government is about to take over health care here.
Like AFP’s campaign, that message doesn’t even have a nodding acquaintance with the truth. But a key Republican strategist says the truth doesn’t matter when it comes to fighting health care reform. BTW, most Republican lawmakers have decried a public plan option with strikingly similar, and just as phony, arguments.
Think Progress reports that lies about health care reform are not going to go away anytime soon.
In an interview with The New York Times, conservative pollster Frank Luntz admitted that he would continue raising the false specter of a ”Washington takeover” of health care—whether or not that was Obama’s actual proposal. “I’m not a policy person. I’m a language person,” Luntz said.
Click here for a detailed look at the blueprint for the propaganda campaign against health care reform.
The truth may set you free, but a big lie just might protect Big Health Insurance Companies’ big profits.
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“The truth may set you free, but a big lie just might protect Big Health Insurance Companies’ big profits.” Well Sen. Baucus & the President are protecting the the health care industry by allowing them to dictate any hearings that occur and shutting out single payer advocates.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 520 union organizations in 49 states including 127 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).
HR 676 & SB 703 are the solution, we want health care, not expensive health “insurance”, that covers all medical problems, and enables all Americans health care.
The rest of the “civilized” world considers healthcare a basic human right. This was decided by the U.N. back in 1948 with the acceptance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The U.S. is the only “civilized” nation that does not honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Recently 13 activists were arrested for daring to confront Senator Max Baucus on his refusal to even discuss single payer! So much for REAL CHANGE!
Apparently the action of 520 labor organizations means very little to the Democratic party and even the labor hiearchy! WHY?
Is the democratic party that dependent on corporate campaign funds? If so, we need to organize our own party!
True Democrat got it right. The AFL-CIO has got to throw it’s weight behind HR-676. The NALC got behind HR-676 at our Honolulu convention, but there has been no “follow up.” Why settle for something which in all probability will NOT happen? Why are we ALWAYS so willing to settle for “second best,” instead of doing what’s best for the rank and file and taking Health Care OFF THE NEGOTIATING TABLE? Why are we allowing Baucus and the rest of the “bought and paid for” K Street crew to dictate what’s best for the corporate health care profiteers as opposed to the people? When are we going to STAND UP?
Historically speaking, the healthcare industry always lies to prevent federal intervention in their looting of the economy. Like the seling of the Iraq war, the media are cheerleaders for the drug/HMOS/insurance companies to protect ad revenues.
Congress? Most of the elected fearless leaders move to protect their campaign contributions and back the healthcare industry instead of taking action for the citizens of America.
They have been working on reform of the healthcare industry since the Bull Moose party in 1912 proposed reforms. Still in committee some of the items.
Nothing new here and anyone believing that the insurance companies are going to honor their word to Obama to cut costs, I have an Arch for sale here in St. Louis. Swampland is kinda rare around here.
The government does not need to provide health care unless you are one of those nut that thinks health care is a “right” like home ownership. I have not read anywhere in the U.S. Constitution about government health care or home ownership.
We are all guaranteed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that does not guaranty equal results. So some people will be wealthy and others poor and not everyone will have health care. But that won’t make sense to all the “victims” in this country who think it is not their fault for their current position in life.
As usual, visionary, like most conservatives, you’ve got the facts wrong. You’ve quoted the Declaration of Independence, not the Consititution. And we’re not fighting Great Britain anymore.
The Consititution DOES say that the US Government was established to “Promote the General Welfare”. In this instance, it does include healthcare reform.
I wish we’d stop screaming “MY RIGHTS!!!” and start looking out for each other.
Whatever……..You can call me a conservative as long as you don’t confuse me with the Republicans. I just want the government out of my life and stop all the ridiculous spending and increased taxes. Just look how much money is wasted with the fraud in Medicare.
My biggest concern is that competition will be sucked out even more from the health care system than it is now. It’s been estimated that over 55% of the costs currently in the system are due to lack of ongoing competition, which inherently promotes higher prices.
With many insurance plans, people don’t have the incentive to pay close attention to the details of how much a doctor or hospital is charging, because it’s already handled. As long as it’s “covered,” most people won’t shop around or watch the bill that closely for erroneous or inflated billing.
So why is labor not saying anything or protesting that only the insurance companies are sitting at the table in this reform? Sen Baucus has shut advocates of single payer out, and Obama has flip flopped on his support of single payer. So who’s at the table? Labor, who is ignoring over 500 union endorsements for single payer, must be nodding their heads in agreement with the insurance rats. Think you will be able negotiate in contract talks? yeah right! Companies are going to drop employer based insurance because of its rising cost. Labor “leaders” must demand insurance companies DO NOT get to write the legislation for this reform. Profits over care is sick!
Gosh, Legalactor, do we really want the government doing this? I can think of a plethora of reasons why they shouldn’t stick their dirty hands into this patient!
Paid for health care isn’t an inalienable right in this country, is it? But even if it was, is it then government’s job to insure that supposed right? This is pushing the “provide for the general welfare” idea well into socialism, at least in my book. (But of course this “frog” been boiled so slowly, we don’t even realize what socialism is any more!)
Some basic reasons government run health care gives me pause:
1. Do we trust that government can really manage this right?
2. Do we want them responsible for an even bigger chunk (a HUGE chunk) of the economy?
3. The bigger government will require more bureaucracy, and therefore taxes.
4. Free competition will be essentially nonexistent in the new system – this will complete the process started with our current system
5. Do you not think that they will start (albeit slowly at 1st) to dictate all sorts of additional things regarding how we live, what we eat, and how we are cared for (in the name of the greater good)?
Once this happens, then we have no more options except to sit down, shut up, and go with the program. We can’t easily then just go get another policy, which is better to our liking/need.
Before too long I wouldn’t be totally surprised to see this on our currency (after religion is abolished of course): “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” <<sounds like a reasonable idea, right?
as usual, the opponents of single-payer have nearly every fact wrong! There is no plan for a “government run” healthcare system. It’s called SINGLE-PAYER, meaning the government IS the insurance company. The medical system is still private. Hospitals are still private. Doctors are still private, and all FOR PROFIT. You get to see whatever doctor you want. READ THE BILL! The only difference is that rather than 30% of our healthcare dollars being spent on administrative overhead, we get the 3-5% overhead that Medicare has.
And the reason Medicare is bleeding money? One is because of a poison injected into it by the “conservatives” that allows for a “private insurer” option that is costing us 15% more (this is the government’s own number) than it would cost if those people were insured directly under medicare. Medicare is not in trouble because of the costs of administration. It is in trouble because health care costs are rising at several times the rate of inflation. And that rise is due primarily to the profit-motivated insurance and pharmaceutical companies that control it.
As for “choice” - a new study shows that in most parts of the country there is absolutely NO COMPETITION for health insurance. There is one “choice”. So much for your “free market”.
All estimates of the cost of a single-payer program (including the government’s and dozens of economic studies) are far below what the current system costs. A payroll tax of around 4.5 to 5% would pay for the entire system and EVERYONE would be covered. Do the math on how much that would cost you and compare that to what your health insurance currently costs. for most people, the tax is about the same, or less than what they are currently paying.
As for those people who are not covered by insurance…do you really think that doesn’t cost you a LOT OF MONEY? That is one other reason why health care costs are out of control. All of those people who get sick are still entitled to be taken care of (it’s called the Hippocratic oath - OMG That’s SOCIALISM!!!!) and YOU are paying for it, one way or another.
In 2004, in a national TV contest, Tommy Douglas, the founder of Canada’s national health care system, was named the Greatest Canadian. Yeah, that Canadian health care system is must be awful…
I am involved in a “government run” health care system and find that it works quite well. It’s called “Medicare”.
edcrabtree said:
“I am involved in a “government run” health care system and find that it works quite well. It’s called “Medicare”.”
Yeah, my dad likes it too. And from the patient standpoint maybe it seems fine, but Medicare really makes my point about the government’s inept hands in things - it’s bleeding red ink at an astronomically alarming rate, even worse than Social Security!
Estimates say Medicare will consume more than 80% of the federal budget within a generation.
So let’s see, Social Security will eat up about as much by then, so that’s 160% of the fed’s budget - not counting anything else! We could slash benefits I guess. Oh, I know, let’s raise taxes on corporations and the rich to pay for it. But I think there’s probably a downside to that too . . .
So far the Nanny state is batting pretty much zero when it comes to long term solutions. But we only have ourselves to blame, as we wanted government to give us more & more & more. Can you say “Goose that laid the golden egg”?
It seems that most developed countries have a successful health care plan. Here in the states we dont have a plan we have anarchy. If denial of services is a concern, take a look at the insurance industry, look at managed health care, look at history. This being a labor web site - Didn’t the automotive industry unions originally want a national health care system? Wasn’t it the automotive industry itself that wanted to take care of healthcare? Didn’t GM move some of their facilities to Canada because they have national health care? Wasn’t it the unions who have fought for better benifits for their workers? In my opinion, fellow workers, it’s time for us to learn from history and catch up with the rest of the developed world. The US system of worker exploitation is continuing, the corporations are just finding new workers to exploit, new ways of maximizing their profits by minimizing compensation and benefits to labor regardless of where. A global economy requires a global labor movement. Solidarity Forever!