Healthcare reform: Fact vs fabrication

September 26, 2009  
Filed under News

In President Obama’s words, he plans to be the last president to have to take up the debate on healthcare. He certainly is not the first. Harry Truman believed in universal healthcare and the Clinton administration submitted a healthcare bill that was ultimately defeated. The late Senator Ted Kennedy called healthcare reform “the cause of my life.”

But with so much information spinning around about the new healthcare plan, his task is becoming an uphill battle. Media coverage of out of control town hall meetings and the rapid sharing of misleading information have made it even worse. “What we’re seeing is a flood of viral content that distorts the Obama effort to reform healthcare,” says Kathleen Hall Jamieson, codiretor of www.FactCheck.org, an internet site that verifies political claims.

So how does the average American separate the myths from the realities of the new healthcare plan? After all, health care has “serious consequences to people’s lives, and it would be useful if as many people as possible actually understood what the proposals are about,” Jamieson says.

The answers to the public’s questions are available, but many times it is overshadowed by the false information. Here we lay out some of the big myths of the call for reform.

Will the government completely control the healthcare system, or socialized medicine?

No. While socialized medicine works for countries like Britain and Canada, President Obama and Congress have dismissed the plan of a system in which the government insures all citizens. The idea of socialized medicine, where the government owns hospitals and pays salaries has also been rejected. Instead, President Obama has set up a public plan system where government would provide for those without private insurance as a voluntary option.

Are there really death panels included in health care reform?

No. This claim has been used as a scare tactic by many and has been circulating on the internet, but is false. The term “death panel” was originated by former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. What the bill actually does is require Medicare to pay if the patient wishes to consult with a doctor for advance care planning, such as making a living will or planning hospice care. Medicare would be required to pay for these sessions once every five years.

Does the healthcare plan cover illegal immigrants?

No. While President Obama originally supported this idea on his campaign, he has conceded this point on the healthcare bill in order for it to pass in Congress.

Will the government get rid of Medicare to help pay for healthcare?

No. Some political commentators have suggested that the new healthcare plan would eliminate Medicare, but these claims are also false. At this point, the proposals plan to set up new ways to reward providers for quality of care and reducing preventable hospital readmissions. The proposals even add to Medicare by covering more preventative services.

Tags:

 Email This Post        Print This Post