Lies About Your Health Care PART II
Warning: This is a political post. You may not be interested in politics, but your life may depend on the following words.
Five days ago I wrote this:
“Around the country, Republicans are on the campaign trail. And a lot of them are, bizarrely for Republicans, defending Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Even Trump is stating, vigorously, that he supports pre-existing conditions being protected.”
They are all lying.
Today, Trump tweeted this:
.
Trump is lying.
As NBC reports this morning: “The Trump administration is backing a Republican-led lawsuit that claims Obamacare’s protections for pre-existing conditions are illegal. If the suit succeeds, insurers would be able to start denying coverage to those people.”
In addition, Republican candidates are running all over America saying that they love the ACA and will protect pre-existing conditions.
They are lying.
.
What Trump is doing is called PROJECTION. This is when somebody accuses someone else of what they are guilty of.
It is ludicrous for Trump to assert that the Democrats want to take away pre-existing conditions. Why? because Democrats created protection for pre-existing conditions.
In addition:
In the 1935, Democrats created Social Security. The Republicans fought this. Furiously.
in 1965, Democrats created Medicare and Medicaid. The Republicans fought this. Furiously.
In the 1990s, First Lady Hillary Clinton fought a courageous battle to assure that all Americans had affordable health care. The Republicans fought this, furiously, every step of the way and the effort failed. Bruised, Hillary nonetheless dusted herself off and then successfully created a program of affordable health care for eight million children.
In 2018, just last week, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell stated that if the GOP retains the Senate, they will make another push to repeal the ACA (they have already tried an astonishing 71 times). And you can bet that every Republican member of the Senate will vote lock-step to support this, no matter their words today on the campaign trail.
McDonnell also stated that the astronomical increase in the national deficit was caused by Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
This is a lie.
The stunning increase in the national deficit (now at $898 billion, up $224 billion from a year ago) was caused by the massive 2017 tax cut the Republicans gave to corporations and the very very very rich. And they all said this would not increase the deficit.
They all lied.
The federal deficit will soon be out-of-control. And McConnell’s plan to bring the deficit down? Destroy Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. That is why he is publicly blaming these programs for the ballooning deficit.
Which is a lie.
It is obvious: The Democratic party, by their own actions and votes spanning nine decades, cares about every American having affordable health care, and money for their retirement. The Republican party, by its own actions and votes spanning nine decades, does not want affordable health care for all Americans, and is still trying to kill Social Security.
In less than two weeks you have an opportunity to vote.
I will be voting for the party which has a proven record of wanting to help me.
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My brain is about overloaded with this. I am doing all I can not to just hide under the bed for the next two weeks. Agreed on all points above.
I did my part. I’ve already voted.
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.”
H.L. Mencken.
The biggest lies about healthcare:
If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.
If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan.
We’re going to lower your premiums by up to $2500 per family per year.
You call these lies.
I see such statements as what had been hoped for and planned for.
But the final rollout of the ACA was severely compromised, in large part because of powerful insurance companies and the GOP. Obama nonetheless felt it was a first start, and hoped it would be improved over the years. This is what Hillary promised in 2016.
You know, Social Security was also flawed when it was first rolled out.
Also, can I ask you some questions, Pat?
Do you think America, like all other advanced countries, should have universal health care?
Do you think it makes sense that America currently has very high health-care costs (as compared to all other advanced nations) yet a low life-expectancy rate (as compared to, for example, Canada and the UK)?
And with sky-high health costs, why is America’s infant mortality rate so shockingly high? We are not #1 on the low infant mortality rate. We are #27. That means 26 other countries have a lower mortality rate than America. 26!
If you don’t like the ACA, what do you suggest as an alternative?
So a law written by democrats and passed by democrats, was apparently unread by democrats? Those lies weren’t aimed at conservative voters because they weren’t dumb enough to believe them.
No, I don’t want government involved in my healthcare. And to use social security as an example of a successful govt program, really? Raise your hand if you expect to get what you are promised. That’s what I thought…
There are many variables that make up life-expectancy rates that can’t be compared on an apples to apples basis.
Just like life expectancy rates, infant mortality rates are hard to compare. For instance, some countries will classify a birth as a stillbirth while the US classifies it as a live birth. There’s also more drug use in the US, more infertility treatments which lead to more risky multiple births, more tragic deaths from gun violence, hot cars, co-sleeping etc. and genetic differences in our populations that aren’t apparent in more homogenous populations. For instance, SIDS deaths are far more prevalent in Native American and African American populations. Probably not a lot of Native Americans or Africans in Norway.
The US medical system will attempt medical extremes to save a life while other countries just shrug. (Charlie Gard is a recent example) If Canada’s health care system is so awesome, why do they so often come to the US for treatment? People who are told they can’t get the treatment they need will come here and pay the cost so they live.
Blowing up the existing healthcare system which the majority liked for 10 or 12 percent of the population was just stupid. A special insurance program could have been implemented for the uninsured. We’ve done it before, ie. flood insurance. But that wouldn’t have gotten us farther down the path to single payer which was the whole point of the exercise.
Hi again, Pat.
You wrote: “So a law written by democrats and passed by democrats, was apparently unread by democrats?”
It seems that you are deliberately twisting things to suit your narrative.
As I wrote above, during the process of creating the ACA, Obama (and other Democrats) believed it would offer X, and they said so publicly. These were not lies, as you claim, but rather expectations for what the ACA would ultimately deliver.
But the final ACA act was vastly different than what Obama had hoped for, and this was 100% the result of intense lobbying by the health industry, and implacable opposition by the GOP in Congress.
You also wrote: “No, I don’t want government involved in my healthcare.”
And that is your choice. No one is forcing you to sign up for the ACA.
You wrote: “And to use social security as an example of a successful govt program, really?”
Why, yes, I do indeed think that SS is a successful government program. My grandparents depended on the SS checks which kept them from poverty and allowed them a modest comfort. I have two good friends who depend on their SS check. And I have never met a single person on SS who would be OK with your taking it away from them!
You work hard at rationalizing America’s low mortality rate but nothing you stated can ignore a simple fact: America has, by far, the most expensive health care of all advanced countries, yet a lower mortality rate than most advanced countries.
You wrote: “The US medical system will attempt medical extremes to save a life while other countries just shrug.”
I would like to respond to your sentence in two parts:
1) Agreed, the US medical system will attempt medical extremes…because such extremes are normally incredibly profitable.
2) While other countries just shrug? Can you offer a credible source supporting such an assertion?
You wrote: “If Canada’s health care system is so awesome…”
I never made such a statement. I assume that Canada’s health care system has flaws, as do ALL systems. But should Canada’s health care system be destroyed because it is flawed?
You wrote: “Blowing up the existing healthcare system which the majority liked for 10 or 12 percent of the population was just stupid.”
Stupid? Oh? How is the ACA giving almost 23 million people health care stupid? When did the ACA supplant all other health care in America? I am unaware of this. When did the majority of Americans think we had a great health care system before the ACA? I am unaware of this. And, if we did once have a great health care system, than why was the #1 cause of bankruptcy in America due to people being destroyed by a health emergency like cancer, a stroke, or some debilitating illness?
Lastly, you brought up Charlie Gard. (For other readers: Charlie was an British infant born with a rare and debilitating genetic condition known as mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. Charlie could not speak, swallow, hear, or see. His parents heard about a possible treatment which was more theory than fact, and the hospital agreed to fly over a NY doctor to see if the treatment could help (with the government paying the cost). But the doctor could not come. Charlie later suffered a seizure, which caused irreversible and catastrophic brain damage, and was put on full life support. At this point, the hospital concluded that Charlie was suffering, and that life support should be removed. The parents bitterly opposed this, fought this in numerous courts, but eventually agreed and Charlie died the next day.) Pat, this situation had nothing to do with the UK providing national health care, and certainly nothing about England just “shrugging”. The situation was about the State saying the no parent has the absolute right over the health of their own child. This happens in America, too, like, for example, when parents who are Jehovah’s Witnesses will deny a medical intervention for their child. The State can remove the child from the home and perform said surgery.
Well, these are a lot of words but they have nothing to do with the point of my post which is that many Republicans, including Trump, are saying they are all for the ACA and supporting pre-existing conditions when, in fact, their actions prove otherwise.
It’s also a fact the Democrats created Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA (and its support of pre-existing conditions). And this is why, in less than two weeks, I will voting for the party which, by its actions spanning nine decades, works to help me.
👏🏼😘👏🏼😘👏🏼
“An ‘alternative’ you ask? Why, just let them get sick and die, we would save enough money on welfare and medicare that we could completely do away with taxes for anyone making more than $250K/yr.” While this may not be a quote anyone in politics would claim, it is what the current administration is promoting, in deeds if not in words. I have actually heard a local Republican party leader make the statement that those who make enough money to not need government assistance should only be taxed for defense and nothing more. Those receiving assistance (and I assume he would include the elderly on social security) would be taxed to pay for their benefits. If the mathematical impossibility of his proposal has already occurred to you, then congratulations; you are smarter than our local Republican leader. I wonder daily how long so many Americans will defend and cling to the very people who are kicking them down and stealing their children and grandchildren’s futures.
Mike, you wrote: ” I wonder daily how long so many Americans will defend and cling to the very people who are kicking them down and stealing their children and grandchildren’s futures.”
That’s a question I ask every week.
Agree with everything you say, Ross. Republicans have co-opted the Democrats playbook on healthcare 2 weeks before the midterms and, yes, they are lying.
Here is an article from yesterday’s New York Times-How to make America America Again- elect Democrats!
https://nyti.ms/2R4KeTw
Ross,
You should read “Fascism” by Madeline Albright. It’s a fascinating meander through historic leaders right upto present. It explains how leaders incidiously chip away at civil liberties with most of the population not seeing the changes until it is too late. Eye opening and terrifying. There’s a lot of lying to the public that most folks are so happy to swallow.
Thanks, Christine!
I plan to buy the book.
For four decades I have extensively studies the rise of Hitler. I wanted to know: How the hell did all that happen?
My question was answered long ago, and I am chilled to see so many parallels between Germany in the 1930s and America today.
But while I see what is happening, and am terrified, I have yet to talk with a Republican who is. They love Trump and his bashing the media, stacking courts with overtly partisan judges, demonizing minorities, stealing kids, and demonizing the opposition party.
It should be noted though that the Republican party has DECLINED by an astonishing 20% this year as droves of college-educated Republicans have left the party and…registered as Democrats! This is unprecedented. When these people are asked why they switched, the answer is consistent: “The Republican party is now the Trump Party. We never signed on for that, we think Trump is a danger to America, and we think only the Democratic Party can save America.”