I don’t know what the Republicans are smoking these days, but they’re acting crazy enough for it to be LSD. And by crazy I mean psychotic and certifiably insane. When you can’t get anywhere by just saying no, you have to make up lies to scare people so they’ll feel okay about it when you screw them royally.
GOP Health Care Reform Myths
Health care reform with a public option won’t save money and is a secret plot to make the elderly sign papers on their choice of how they want to be euthanized. The money for taking care of everyone else will be paid for by the early deaths of our elderly citizens, since end-of-life care is usually very expensive. Oh, and it will encourage more women to have government-paid abortions. — GOP Wing-Nut Deathers
Reality
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The deathers are putting forth such a big lie it’s ridiculous! Euthanasia of humans is illegal. There is nothing in any legislation to make it legal.
The only thing everyone is encouraged to do is to make a living will so their families don’t have to make really tough, heart-wrenching decisions when a patient can no longer speak for him or her self. Just like everyone 18 and over should have a will, everyone 18 and over should have a living will and appropriate powers of attorney.
An overwhelming majority of Americans want real reform. What pisses me off the most is nearly all Republicans are sitting in Washington NOT representing what their constituents want and need. That’s not why they were elected and not what we’re paying them to do.
The President demands the following on health insurance coverage for all Americans:
- No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
- No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
- No cost-sharing for preventive care
- No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
- No gender discrimination
- No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
- Extended coverage for young adults
- Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid
Bills being worked on in the House and Senate have these items and will also include help for many middle class families to pay premiums and will continue to make sure millions of children remain covered under SCHIP.
The cost of all health care for everyone is increasing at alarming rates. Only 38% of Americans are covered by employer health insurance plans today. Forty-eight million Americans are uninsured and the number of uninsured increases by 14,000 people per day. Another 35-40 million Americans are under-insured. These people are one serious illness away from financial disaster.
The U.S. population is currently about 306 million people. The number of uninsured and under-insured consists of roughly 1/3 of the American population. We are the richest country in the world and we can’t afford to take care of our peoples’ health care? Bullpuckey.
We are the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t have universal health care. We spend far more on health care than any other country and we are not getting our money’s worth. We have far more negative outcomes compared to other industrialized nations. Our people live sicker and die younger than they have to because they can’t afford adequate preventive and managed care, along with better care for sick people.
In 1993, 68% of people were insured by their employers with better benefits and far fewer Americans were uninsured than today.
If we require everyone to be insured, costs will decline and risk will be evenly spread through the entire population. It would be illegal to deny coverage, and a public option along with non-profit options will control insurance premium costs and keep the private insurance companies from making a killing off the American people like they are now.
Government-run health care is so horrible and so expensive that all Senators and Representatives, federal employees, the President and his family, the elderly, and veterans are well covered by it and very much like the cost and the benefits they have. The VA costs 2/3 of what private health care costs and provides better outcomes. These government-run plans cost less because they are non-profit. They also have more streamlined delivery of health care to its members, which lowers costs.
Elderly people have written President Obama letters against government-run health care, and say by the way, don’t mess with their Medicare! Uh…Medicare is a government-run health care plan.
Why aren’t the rest of the American people entitled to the same benefits as our Senators and Representatives, federal employees, elderly, veterans and President? Because the private insurance companies who are in the wallets of the GOP would lose a ton of money if they had to compete with a government-run plan that doesn’t buy politicians, pay its executives huge salaries and shoulder the costs of marketing and advertising to get the few people they are willing to insure.
The system is broken and we either fix it now or it will be kicked down the road for us to fix in 5 or 10 years when we may be in a far worse economic crisis. Without health care reform, insuring everyone and reducing costs, our economy won’t recover as much as it needs to. When 5-10 years gets here with no changes, we will spend $1 out of every $5 on health care costs. If we get a plan like the President wants, we will save $2-$3 trillion over the next decade.
While you mull that over in your mind, remember these bozos who are debating your health care future and spreading lies and myths have great insurance paid for by YOU!
At least Harry and Louise are for health care reform this time…
Sources: Healthcare Reform Myths
Who’s behind the attacks on a health care overhaul? McClatchy
deathers, GOP fearmongering, health care reform, living will, right-wing nuts
July 31st, 2009 at 7:12 am
“…acting crazy enough for it to be LSD. And by crazy I mean psychotic and certifiably insane. …”
Pot — kettle. Kettle, pot.
July 31st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
@truthocrat: exactly what do you mean? I don’t see the pot-kettle thing going on at all.
In what way are Democrats and Independents acting crazy right now? The GOP is so desperate that they are making up lies to scare people about health care reform and that we should fear having an African American President and a Latina woman on the Supreme Court. The deather conspiracy is a lie. The birther conspiracy is a lie. (BTW, McCain was born in Panama). Insanity means one is disconnected from reality. This bullpuckey is nothing short of delusions of persecution. Where are your facts?
Millions of Americans have lost or are losing their health insurance. Medicare needs reform to keep it from cutting payments to doctors so drastically that a lot of them will quit seeing elderly patients. The elderly may still be covered, but have no doctors, hospitals or providers who will take them as patients. What good is insurance if you can’t use it?
43 million Americans are covered by Medicare. 50 million will be uninsured by the end of the year. 40 million are under-insured. The Republicans have no plan to deal with the country’s problems. They are obstructing by any means they can, including lies and fearmongering along with just saying no.
So please explain what you mean.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:23 pm
When you ask someone else to provide facts, please provide a better source than “Unavoidable news coverage by newspapers and networks on TV and radio” if you expect to maintain any credibility yourself.
If you understood the situation, you’d realize that of the 50 million uninsured or underinsured, a vast majority of them choose not to purchase insurance, or are eligible for Medicare/caid but simply do not enroll.
And since you brought it up, Pelosi and other toad-lickers are talking about paying for a universal health scam by “wringing savings out of Medicare.” How exactly do they propose to do that if not by rationing care to sicklier (aka more expensive) patients and cutting reimbursement rates to doctors even more? Be specific in your response, because I am truly clueless as to how that is supposed to work.
August 1st, 2009 at 1:38 am
@Facts:
You are trying to imply that you are from FactCheck.org . You are not. The site you are from, factchecker.org, redirects to http://www.buzzflash.com/ . It claims to be a progressive site, but judging from your comment you are not a progressive, or even a liberal. That you don’t use your name makes me question who you are or what your motives might be. You sound just like a right-wing nut. I’m hazarding a guess that you also have good health insurance so this is all academic to you.
I was being flip about sources; this stuff is everywhere all over the news, skewed to the network’s leanings, but I am editing my post with a non-partisan health care reform myth-busting site as my source.
What you’re saying is bullpuckey. Some, not many, of the uninsured could buy insurance if they wanted to, but most of us cannot buy it because of pre-existing conditions. State laws very widely as to who can be covered by Medicaid and what medical insurance laws apply to which groups. My son is on SCHIP, but I can’t get Medicaid in my state because I’m an adult and the income limits are far lower than for SCHIP. Insurance may be available in a high-risk pool, but the plans are so expensive and cover so little that most middle class people can’t afford to purchase them.
One of the things these plans don’t cover is prescription medications. If you have a pre-existing chronic condition and need medications continuously, they won’t pay. Do you know how expensive prescription drugs are? Even the generics cost a lot. Those $4/month drugs advertised at Walmart and other stores cover so few drugs that they are useless plans just to get people to change to their pharmacies. I pour over those lists every month searching for my medicines, and none of them are there.
What about the huge number of people who are losing their coverage each day? They lose their jobs or their companies stop providing insurance. Most people who are uninsured or under-insured can’t afford more or better coverage, even if they are eligible for more coverage.
I don’t know anyone who is eligible for Medicare who does not sign up for it. I know a lot of people 65+, and all of them are enrolled in Medicare. The only exceptions are those covered by the VA. Most also have a second supplemental plan to help cover what Medicare doesn’t. If you go into a hospital with a serious illness or injury and you are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, they cover you immediately and pay for your expenses. The problem comes in when you’re not eligible for these programs, are uninsured or under-insured and get really sick. Or you are really sick and your insurance company drops you because of it.
What America are you living in? I think YOU are the one who doesn’t understand the situation at all. I live with it every day when I’m trying to figure out how to buy my medications, feed my son and myself and pay the rest of my bills. The only people I know who don’t worry about health care costs and medical insurance are state employees and those with jobs at large companies. Most of my small business friends don’t have insurance and can’t cover their employees because of the cost.
August 2nd, 2009 at 1:34 am
If you have a pre-existing chronic condition and need medications continuously, why not get a job (any job) that provides medical benefits? Even seasonal tax preparers at H&R Block can buy into their health insurance plan and that’s a 120-day annual contract. This constant fiddling around in entrepreneurship on your part makes me think you’re not really serious about your health situation, except where you can use it to try and promote a system where you don’t have to pay for all those drugs you think you need.
Yes, the system is broken. Health care should not be tied to employment or overseen by 50 different states; there needs to be more portability for those of us who move frequently from state to state or job to job. However, people should be expected to pay directly for a lot of their own care (ALL preventive care and MOST elective procedures/conditions including pregnancy) and not have it picked up by insurance. After all, do you call GEICO every time you need your oil changed or your tires replaced? Do you file a claim with Allstate when you need to paint the house? Insurance should be used for actual catastrophic or enduring situations, like cancer, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, horrendous accidents, etc. You know what they say in financial planning 101: Manage the risks you can afford, insure the ones you can’t.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
@Facts: So tell me, when did you go to med school and get your MD? You’re not my doctor so STFU about my pre-existing conditions.
“Drugs you think you need”…I will die without them.
“Insurance should be used for actual catastrophic or enduring situations” What the hell do you think a pre-existing condition is???
There are a lot more chronic conditions than you listed that must be treated for a person to remain functional and in some cases alive. Most new employers don’t cover pre-existing conditions for either a period of time or ever. If you’re a contract employee, if they treated you for an illness under one contract period, it becomes a pre-existing condition in the next contract period and you’re no longer covered for that condition. Been there, done that. I’ve been denied medical coverage by employers who I’ve gotten offers from. Why? I have a pre-existing condition that raises their risk pool too much and won’t cover me. Many small employers here don’t offer medical insurance at all because they can’t afford it.
Those of you who never have to use your medical insurance and aren’t sick never have to deal with it so you like it. It’s because you don’t have to fight with them like those of us who are sick have to.
Therefore, I wish upon you a sudden, very serious illness that damn near kills you, puts you in the hospital for weeks, keeps you off work for months, then leaves you with a chronic medical condition for the rest of your life. Then we’ll see how well you like your insurance, especially if you get laid off from your job. Count on it because you cost the company’s risk pool that much money. It’s cheaper to get rid of you and find somebody well.
August 4th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
“Most new employers don’t cover pre-existing conditions for either a period of time or ever.”
Two words – group plan.
Five more words – diabetic on the transplant list. So don’t start about how it’s impossible to find insurance through your employer for pre-existing / chronic conditions. I had a big incentive to do my homework and I know more about it than you. I’ll be fully covered 90 days after starting my new job, and the majority of employers offer such coverage. It’s only as difficult as you make it.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
This is so important -
“The only thing everyone is encouraged to do is to make a living will so their families don’t have to make really tough, heart-wrenching decisions when a patient can no longer speak for him or her self.”
I was the health advocate for my best friend, Arlene. It was not easy but I followed her instructions – not her family’s..
I ended up with enemies for life. It was worth it. My conscience is clear.
She died at home with all of her friends around her. Especially me.
With Hospice constantly keeping her comfortable. She did not suffer.
On the few times she was in the hospital, I had trouble getting her enough pain medication. Those people are scardy cats.
Not with Hospice. They are outside the law I think
.-= Corinne Edwards´s last blog ..CORINNE’S (not so) GREATEST HITS =-.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Roadhellion, I am sorry for your plight. diabetes and kidney failure must be very tough to deal with. However, different states have different insurance rules about how long an employer can wait to cover a new employee, or if they ever have to cover a pre-existing conditions.
I hope for you that after you get your kidney transplant and have to miss a bunch of work to recover that you don’t end up laid off or outright fired for not being at work. They can’t fire you for being sick. They can fire you for not coming to work no matter what the reason, unless you are under a contract. If you are employed at will, they can get rid of you at will, too. I hope that doesn’t happen to you, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it does. I hope you have a plan B.
You may know more about it in your state, but not in mine. I, too, have done my homework, and what constitutes a group is different in different states. Nobody here covers a pre-existing condition after just 90 days. It’s at least a year if at all. I’m not talking extremely small companies here either, companies with more than 200 employees. Really small companies often don’t offer insurance mainly because they aren’t required to do so, and probably couldn’t afford it if they tried.
The majority of employers no longer offer medical coverage. Only 38% of employees in America are covered under employer health plans now. That is not a majority. In 1993, that percentage was in the 60%-70% range.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:30 am
Thanks, Corinne. I’ve read your posts about Arlene, and I know your conscience is clear. If her family was not willing to follow her wishes, they were being selfish. A living will isn’t about the family members, it’s about what the patient wants. I can see why she named you her advocate. You followed her wishes where I’m sure she knew her family would not.
From personal experience with hospitals and pain control, I agree they fear giving you enough for pain. It prolongs recovery (when you are going to get better), and causes undue suffering when you aren’t going to get better. When you hurt you don’t want to move around and that slows things down. When you’re terminal, no one should even think about withholding pain relief in the doses necessary to relieve the pain.
I think Hospice is not subject to the same laws as hospitals and other medical care facilities and practitioners. They legally have a lot more freedom to relieve suffering.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:51 am
To those whose comments were not published:
See the note on my about page, near the bottom. “Note” is in bold. In a nutshell, not all comments will be published or discussed.
September 7th, 2009 at 1:08 am
[...] Because the private insurance companies who are in the wallets of the GOP would lose a ton of money if they had to compete with a government-run plan that doesn’t buy politicians, pay its executives huge salaries and shoulder the costs …Continue Reading [...]