The Health Bill Email Is A Pack Of Lies

By Bruce Kettelle

Today I received another email list with claims of wrondoing in the health care reform bill. It is very wrong. Below is a short rebuttal I copied from Political Affairs Magazine.

It is a good idea to question anything you hear on the internet and in the news about this healthcare bill. National Public Radio revealed last week that insurance industry insiders are circulating misleading statements and in some cases total lies through their lobbyists. They showed a copy of an insurance industry talking points memo that was untrue and then they showed US Representative John Boehner of Ohio repeating those same "facts" word for word right on the Floor of the House of Representatives. How much money did he receive from these lobbyists? A lot.

Yes this very editorial appears on the internet and should be discounted as well. But it is such a waste of my time to keep researching the barrage of information that is being dumped on Americans. My favorite is the ongoing assault on the current administration trying to turn the United States into a Socialist government. Give me a break.

Our system has included socialist economics since day one and our country would not exist without them. Our economics also permit capitalism. Both have restrictions and one will not work without the other. The magic is in the way they are blended.

So the next time you get an email that predicts the end of civilization as we know it use the ignore button since it is probably written by someone smarter than me that wants more of your money.

The Health Bill Email facts from Political Affairs Magazine

An unidentified person (or persons), who sources say is linked to the Republican Party affiliated and insurance lobby funded Conservatives for Patients Rights, has circulated an e-mail containing a number of erroneous and misleading claims about the health reform bills in Congress. According to the e-mail, health reform would allow the government to do everything from making decisions for you about medical care to accessing your private bank account and giving taxpayer money away to ACORN, illegal immigrants and labor unions.

The error-laden e-mail claims to identify specific page numbers in the House health reform bill that mandates these provisions. For example, the e-mail cites "Page 29" as admitting that "your health care will be rationed." According to the actual text of the bill, however, page 29 defines a minimum standard for health benefits packages and in no way rations care.

Another part of the e-mail claims "Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)." Again, page 30 actually defines minimum standards for insurance plans and says nothing about limiting or denying benefits or treatments.

The pro-insurance company e-mail continues in the same vein: "Page 42: The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None." And again, this page of the bill defines minimum standards and does not give any government official authority over medical decisions or benefits.

But the author of the e-mail doesn't confine him or herself to confusing readers about the issue of minimum standards. It goes on to claim that health reform is little more than a funnel for taxpayer dollars to labor unions, ACORN and "illegal aliens."

In fact, in one of several mentions of "illegal aliens" the e-mail claims they will get free health care services, according to page 50 of the bill. But, in fact, page 50 and 51, while outlawing discrimination, forbids use of federal dollars to provide health care to undocumented immigrants. (Many critics of this provisions point out that denying wellness and preventative care to undocumented immigrants poses a serious challenge to maintaining quality public health.)

The repeated reference to undocumented immigrants is clearly more an attempt to foster anti-immigrant sentiments and confuse the truth about the bill than anything else.

This one may even be scarier. "Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer." The truth, however, is that the bill provides no means for this and only authorizes electronic transfers of money within the government.

In a further deviation down the path of right-wing delusion, the e-mail insists repeatedly that the right-wing bogeyman ACORN will get gobs of cash from the health reform bill.


Here is an exact copy of the email I received.

Subject: The HEALTH BILL

Got this from a friend of mine in Washington. After reading it, I am going
to send an email or call my congressman and advise ensure he votes against
anything like this.

Read it below and see what you think. It is your life that we are talking
about here. Your senator/congressman/congresswoman is now on a summer break.
Contact them and let them know what you think. Read the health bill and/or
some of the highlights of it below.

Jim


. Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
. Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
. Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits
you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process) . Page
42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you.
You will have no choice. None.
. Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free
healthcare services.
. Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
. Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all
individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
. Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community
organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN) . Page 72: All private
healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate
in a Healthcare Exchange.
. Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare
Exchange (i.e., total government control of private
plans)
. Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services;
translation: illegal aliens . Page 95: The Government will pay
ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care
plan.
. Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you
have no choice in the matter . Page 124: No company
can sue the government for price-fixing. No "judicial review" is permitted
against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be
crushed.
. Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
. Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run
public plan. No alternatives.
. Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND
their families.
. Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer
the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll
. Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not
offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll
. Page 167: Any individual who doesnt' have acceptable healthcare (according
to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
. Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes
(Americans will pay for them).
. Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will
have access to ALL American financial and personal records.
. Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as
tax." Yes, it really says that.
. Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and
the poor most affected."
. Page 241: Doctors: no matter what speciality you have, you'll all be paid
the same (thanks, AMA!)
. Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional
judgment, etc.
. Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for
private healthcare industries.
. Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven
wheelchairs.
. Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!
. Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems
preventable re-admissions.
. Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that
results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the
government.
. Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in
healthcare companies!
. Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand
without government approval.
. Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on "community" input: in other words,
yet another payoff for ACORN.
. Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures:
i.e., rationing.
. Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans,
HMOs, etc.
. Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS
individuals.
. Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by
phone).
. Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior
Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?
. Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills,
durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes
ahead of time.
. Page 425: Goverment provides approved list of end-of-life resources,
guiding you in death.
. Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment;
government dictates how your life ends.
. Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment
as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life
plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.
. Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at
end-of-life.
. Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN.
. Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for
ACORN.
. Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government
intervenes in your marriage.
. Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating
and rationing those services.

"The people perish for lack of knowledge"...