Misperceptions About Health Care Reform

It is a tribute to the power and wealth of the health insurance lobby and its Republican friends in Congress that they have been able to influence many people by spreading misinformation about the President’s health care reform plan. It is discouraging to see that in a desperate effort to defeat and destroy President Obama and the Democrats the Republicans have abandoned a critical moral value called “truth.”

One of the main reasons why so many people oppose health care reform is because of glaring misperceptions about the President’s plan. Large numbers of misinformed people believe the plan would cut Medicare benefits, give health insurance coverage to illegal immigrants, lead to a government takeover of the health care system, and use taxpayer dollars to pay for women to have abortions — all claims that have proven to be false.

One false rumor spread by congressional Republicans is that the government is going to require old people to have “mandatory” counseling sessions that will tell them how to end their lives sooner. This lie was promoted by our local hero and House Minority Gasbag, John Boehner, who said that the bill would encourage “euthanasia.” Even that quitter, Sarah Palin, whose rambling and grammatically challenged farewell speech became the laughingstock of late-night comedians, said on Facebook that she didn’t want to have her parents and down-syndrome baby face President Obama’s “death panel.” Death panel?

It is self-evident that dimwit Sarah, like most other right-wing opponents of health care reform, has no clue as to what is in the bills in Congress. There is nothing in the plan that could even remotely constitute a requirement of “mandatory” end-of-life counseling sessions, not to mention euthanasia or a death panel. I don’t expect people to read the over 1017 recondite pages of the proposed bills, but there are good summaries on the internet.

One claim made by Republicans is that health care reform will hurt small businessmen and make it impossible for them to cover their employees with health insurance. On the contrary, it will greatly help small businessmen. Small firms will be able to buy health insurance at substantially lower rates. Those that currently offer coverage often pay significantly more per worker than larger employers. Under the current bills, the smallest employers will gain quick access to new insurance exchanges — where plans will compete for their business with rates comparable to those enjoyed by large employers.

Another claim frequently heard is that the government will institute rationing. The truth is just the opposite. The health care reform bills will eliminate all forms of health insurance rationing, especially those now being used by private health insurance companies. The bills will forbid insurance companies from denying coverage for people who have had a previous medical condition. They will forbid dropping patients who have current medical problems. No American will ever again be subject to annual or lifetime limits on their coverage.

The health care bills will not cover illegal immigrants. Under the President’s plan, only citizens and legal residents will be covered.

The health care bills will not cover government funding of abortion. There will be no repeal of the Hyde Amendment which prohibits the government from funding abortion.

Republican senators have declared that the bills will cut benefits from Medicare. That is a deliberate lie. The bills will not cut any benefits from Medicare. (This will be the subject of a later commentary).

There will be no governmental take-over of the health care system. We will still have private doctors, hospitals, and health insurance.

It is unfortunate that people have swallowed so many lies put-out by the health insurance industry and Republican leaders. If you really care, now is the time to actually read the summaries of the bills on the internet.