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Today's Top News
False Health-Scare Ad on CNN
A right-wing group called Conservatives for Patients’ Rights is airing
a political attack ad against the idea of a public option for health
insurance by turning upside down an analysis showing that 119 million
Americans would jump from their private health insurer to a government
plan if one existed.
According to that analysis, 119 million Americans – roughly two-thirds
of those now on private plans – would defect to a public option if they
had a choice. But the right-wing group, in airing its ad on CNN,
presents that number as a case of denying those Americans the choice of
staying on their private plans.
“Experts say a government plan could result in 119 million Americans coming off their existing coverage,” a woman’s voice intones over the image of a Wall Street Journal article. “They’d end up on a government-run plan.”
However, those 119 million Americas would be “coming off their existing coverage,” according to the analysis, because many would choose a public health option over their existing private plan. In other words, what the CPR group wants to do is to deny those 119 million Americans the choice that many of them want.
In opening the ad, CPR leader Rick Scott explicitly flips the issue of “choice,” maintaining that a public option “could mean taking away your choice.”
Scott is a multimillionaire who built Columbia/HCA into the largest U.S. health-care company before being removed by the board of directors in 1997 after a fraud investigation that led to a guilty plea for the company on overbilling state and federal health plans and to a record $1.7 billion in fines.
Coordinating Scott’s anti-public-option attack ads is the CRC Public Relations firm that devised the “Swift boat” attacks on Sen. John Kerry’s war record during Campaign 2004. [Washington Post, May 11, 2009]
In one of the strange twists of the current health-care debate, the industry’s defenders have repeatedly cited the potential 119 million American defectors to a public option as an argument for denying them that choice. The argument is that so many Americans would vote with their pocketbooks against the private insurers and in favor of a government-run plan that the private industry would collapse.
“As many as 119 million Americans would shift from private coverage to the government plan,” one of the industry’s chief protectors, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote in a column for Politico.com, arguing that the result would be cataclysmic for the industry.
Though some analysts question the accuracy of the 119 million estimate, its use by industry defenders represents a remarkable admission of failure by private health insurers to meet the needs of their customers.
That failure was underscored again on Wednesday by the findings of a congressional investigation that two-thirds of the industry used a faulty database that overcharged patients for seeing out-of-network doctors. The use of the flawed database cost private insurance subscribers billions of dollars that they should not otherwise have paid, the report said.
Given the many complaints that Americans have expressed over the years about denials, limits and cost of health insurance, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that millions of Americans would trust a government-run insurance plan over a private one.
But the main point of U.S. public opinion has been that health care reform should offer a choice for Americans to pick one or the other. According to a New York Times/CBS poll, 72 percent of the American people favor “offering everyone a government administered health insurance plan like Medicare that would compete with private health insurance plans.”
However, the attack ad appearing on CNN has turned the choice issue inside out, with the goal of leaving the American people with only the choice of signing up with a private insurer or going without insurance.
- Posted in
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29 Comments so far
Show AllThanks for your latest apologetic.
When asked about the "public option" at a town hall meeting the other day, Obama back tracked on it, saying nothing is locked in - my paraphrase. I guess this answer tells us something about the spineless Democrats collecting money from the health insurers and trying to kill the measure.
If Obama is not willing to go to the mat for public option, nor many Democrats, why is Parry so afraid to cut to the frigging chase, and discuss the real issue at hand?
Oh, maybe he is just another puppet for watered down tripe who likes to read his words in print and when it comes to Obama's continued capitulations, Parry sees no evil, hears no evil, speaks no evil.
Public option has nothing to do with Republicans who DO NOT CONTROL THE HOUSE OR SENATE, AND IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE DEMOCRATS WHO DO CONTROL THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
What is it that Parry does not understand about that fact?
"Public option has nothing to do with Republicans who DO NOT CONTROL THE HOUSE OR SENATE, AND IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE DEMOCRATS WHO DO CONTROL THE HOUSE AND SENATE." he knows it. Mr. Parry is a smart guy.
I'm afraid the deal is already done my friend. Can't u feel the knife in your back? My guess is reform will end up being just as twisted as that sickening TV ad. Can u imagine the friggin gall it had to take to try and make these huge greedy as killer Corps. into victims no less! It's not only laughable on it's face but it's also a slap in the face for every person and every family in America that has suffered at the hands of these f'ing scum sucking evil motherfuckers! Your so right though about Obama and his pals in the BLUE DOG DINO wing of the rubble heap calling itself the Democratic party. What a joke! Change we can believe in? Who the fuck are these people talking about?
Yeah, just like endless war escalation/occupation, FISA and TARP, a crappy energy Bill written by Shell Oil, torture through the back door, war crimes investigations and corruption off the table, Blackwater operatives getting bigger and richer contracts for perpetual war, clean coal obfuscations, covert air strikes targeting non combatants in Pakistan, secrecy norms at the White House on corporate meetings with Obama, while single payer advocates are excluded from the table, oh, did i miss anything?
Thanks, we need a list. Add wrecking any chance of publicly funded of elections.
“As many as 119 million Americans would shift from private coverage to the government plan,” one of the industry’s chief protectors, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote in a column for Politico.com, arguing that the result would be cataclysmic for the industry." So what? Fuck you Senator Grassley and Fuck BIG Vampire that you and your party suck off daily. Oh and Fuck any so called DINOcrats like Max Bauchus, Conrad, DIFI and many others that have sold their souls for 33 pieces of silver. If you pricks defeat this attempt at reform, the millions of deaths resulting from INS. company denial of care and dropping of coverage will be on from that moment forward be on your souls. Which probably won't be a problem for most of u fucking soul less bastards.
Hear Hear!
Thought i would complement you before Parry reports your post and it is censored.
Profane language never leads to a post being deleted. Other stuff does.
..
Too bad the spin doctors are never "out-of-network."
"The argument is that so many Americans would vote with their pocketbooks against the private insurers and in favor of a government-run plan that the private industry would collapse"
If the current corrupt system worked, Sen. Baucus' profiteers would have nothing to worry about.
Saying the private insurers would collapse mirrors the refrain heard from Dems in America that allowing voters a choice to easily choose a third party would collapse the Dems. If the Dems were giving you things you need like single payer, you wouldn't need to vote for the Greens to get it.
"The argument is that so many Americans would vote with their pocketbooks against the private insurers and in favor of a government-run plan that the private industry would collapse"
An "industry" that has been ripping off hundreds of millions of people for decades deserves to collapse. That would cause massive unemployment in the "insurance industry". What's the solution to that? Sadly, there are many large grey areas, and I don't have the answers.
As for "the public option", remember this is NOT single payer, or a Medicare For All system. The "public option" is government provided insurance that would supposedly compete with existing insurance companies.
I agree, but public option as a chance to morph into single payer if enough people jump out of the for profit sector. Nicely stated.
"...the argument is that so many Americans would vote with their pocketbooks against the private insurers and in favor of a government-run plan that the private industry would collapse"
Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....NOT, NOT, NOT....A COLLAPSE OF THE "PRIVATE INDUSTRY".....NOT THAT!!!! SAY IT ISN'T SO............POOR, POOR, "PIVATE INDUSTRY". NO, REALLY...I MEAN IT NOW. POOR "THING". POOR "CORPORATE PERSON". BOO-HOO!-HOO!-HOO! SNIVEL, SOB.
LET IT SHRIVEL-UP AND DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH
I find it difficult to fathom the evil in peoples hearts that they sacrifice the health and lives of their countrymen for profit. How on earth do they live with themselves?
Free the Grassley 119 million!
Louise needs Thelma for a partner this time instead of Harry.
“Experts say a government plan could result in 119 million Americans coming off their existing coverage,” a woman’s voice intones over the image of a Wall Street Journal article. “They’d end up on a government-run plan.”
Sheesh, come off it like sliding off a merry go round or getting plopped off our ponies? We'd end up? The end? Here, let me help:
"Advocates of the popular single payer option accept the industry estimate that as many as 119 million Americans would eagerly drop their existing extortion plan for a chance to have equal access where health care is run like a public utility for the well being of all instead of the profit of a few."
Parry missed the point when he said a choice of insurance industry or going without. Their goal is no choice. Insurance or whopping fines. And Obama has backed off his promise of no mandate, another broken promise. Just one of too many to count.
But Congress is rising to the occasion, deciding that providing money to the poor to help pay for the exorbitant mandatory premiums would be too expensive for the budget. Our tax money is needed for Obama's wars and the filthy rich bankers. Don't expect Obama to ride to the rescue. He only does that for Goldman Sachs.
When the people fear their government there is tyranny,
when the government fears the people there is liberty.
~ Thomas Jefferson
"But Congress is rising to the occasion, deciding that providing money to the poor to help pay for the exorbitant mandatory premiums would be too expensive for the budget."
I can't be too surprised. But having recently visited the poor neighborhoods in St Louis City where one of my friends lives at, I found out that most of these people are desperately worried about facing eviction possibilities even from their own apartments. I didn't even feel like asking them about what they knew about single payer health care. I know you have mentioned that so many times, you would come across people who knew nothing about single payer health care. Yesterday, when Sioux Rose reminded me of the stress families went through, I was finally able to add up the pieces of the puzzle. I don't know how it is going in your state but out here in St Louis City and even suburbs, I hear more people are trying to salvage the money they need to pay their basic bills that they cannot even think of asking Congress to give them a discount on healthcare insurance let alone single payer. It's worse with medications. Today, I overheard one of my neighbors in a balcony talking about how he cuts his medication costs by cutting the pills and taking half of what the doctor ordered him to take everyday. I'm guessing that Congress wants more sick and divided.
Those who are unemployed, underemployed, or are just on the lower end of the paying scale are warped up with more tension and pressure. A decent pay would remove the tensions and pressures and give these people more room to think about single payer health care. Take my status for example. In my area, I don't get much of a well paying job unless I'm in DOD and even there I've come across the limitations. Most people that I've come across open to the idea of single payer and in fact strongly support it are making at least 50k per year. I've rarely come across an individual making less than 30k who's even heard about it. That's not to say that those who are making 50k and higher all support it. Here comes the other side who claims that they're earning well and that they think that insurance companies and not government have the authority to provide healthcare coverage and even hollar about "choice".
Congress is well aware of the knowledge divide amongst the classes and feels that they're safe to write us all off because we lack the unity and dedication to deliver them a powerful message that healthcare must be made a right and not remain a privilege. I know that one option a lot of us making more have is to go easy even if it means making a little less. I know I got upset with that suggestion because in this world, when hops from job to job, as soon as he or she settles for lower pay than the last job, their next employer is likely to use that weakness against him or her. Usually, they won't bother to check a candidate's actual salary from their previous job but today's advanced applications and communications can make it less costly for the employer to snoop and dictate your salary which is the reason why I don't take chances.
From time to time we hear slang expressions and epithets and may wonder exactly what they mean.
For instance, the term "dirty rat bastard" may refer to a filthy rodent concieved out of wedlock. Or Chuck Grassley or Rick Scott.
In a country where "freedom and democracy" means a political system circumscribed by the sponsorship of corporate financial interests, one should hardly be surprised by any such minor Newspeak hypocrisies as declaring real choices to be restrictions.
Compared with life's current realities under the policies and practices of USA Incorporated, Orwell was an optimist.
did you call the representative from the hmo or big pharma?
oh oops i meant your representative in washington? they
already got paid. obama's presidential campaign took a
206 mil. bribe i mean contribution so don't expect to much.
how scott didn't get 10 years in allentown (white collar
fed pen) is one of the real mysteries of the last 10 yrs.
this guy is so crooked they will have to bury him in a
piano case as he's to twisted to put in a casket!
tell the truth, well said!
When the people fear their government there is tyranny,
when the government fears the people there is liberty.
~ Thomas Jefferson
You think calling your reps will make much difference? Once they're elected, the game is "fixed" for the most part. I would email and call them where need be but at some point, trying to contact them can be useless. The best thing to do is find someone else to replace your misrep.
Even after paying fines of $1.7 billion for defrauding Medicare/Medicaid of hundreds of millions of dollars, Scott was never charged and avoided jail time. Sure is nice to be rich. Steal a bottle of cough syrup for your kid and you can be jailed for 25 years in California (3 strikes law).
Then again, being who he is, he makes the perfect spokesperson for the insurance industry.
When the people fear their government there is tyranny,
when the government fears the people there is liberty.
~ Thomas Jefferson
You can thank Gray Davis for strongly approving that 3 strikes law. It's amazing that the Republicans in CA never flanked him on that issue but it's not as if Arnold cares to do away with that rule either. No wonder prisons are getting overcrowded, the more dangerous criminals are having fun looting the state treasury and people, and the economy is bankrupt. I hear some interior states are considering adding prisons to help CA out or something. CA need not be bailed out. That state should be allowed to collapse. Only then will people in that state rise up and force the prison hell to be shut down if you get my gist.
This fellow is a rich crook that has paid a lot of money to get off the hook of the realities of consequence when reality has come to bite him. He has learned little from his close encounters with consequence. These ads are pure propagation of ignorance and paranoia and represent a flaw in societal logic, in that part of our society continues to allow him (pay him & offer venues for the right price) to lie about the realities that affect the quality of life and lifespan of our families.
Check out his website and try to express the truth to these propagators of ignorance and paranoia. You will be met with no avenue to engage them. The money they are paid must be damn good. A lot of things, like your family and the truth, are a lot more important than their aquisition of money.
In our world, ignorance is propagated and it is not bliss, it's malignant. Malignancy of any kind eventually affects the health of the "host". Anyone noticed how healthy the GOP is? Find a way to tell and share the truth.
Perhaps one reason there is no open avenue to engage the above mentioned purveyors of twisted logic with truth against fiction, ignorance, and paranoia is their realization on some level that they are residing in the shallow end of the gene pool. Perhaps they do not like to feel that they are withering. The truth will trump. Let them squirm and go away.
Addendum, after review of the Daily Kos this morning:
Jay Rockefeller reflects that the insurance industry spends $1.4 million a day to fight health insurance reform. The nutrients at the shallow end of gene pool are rich. All the more reason to tell the truth. It's not just money and your life span these bottom suckers feed off of, it's the quality of life of your family.
Thank you, truthsleuth. And where are they finding all that money? Oh, of course! In their claims denial department.
When the people fear their government there is tyranny,
when the government fears the people there is liberty.
~ Thomas Jefferson