Health Care Website and Blog

There are a lot of lies swirling around about “the public option” health care reform that President Obama wants for America. Almost all of these lies originate from the private health insurance industry who is trying to protect our current broken health care system because it makes them many billions of dollars. What follows are seven of the most common lies.

#1) “Euthanasia” (or “Death Panels” as Sarah Palin recently dreamed up.) This is complete nonsense. It’s also one of the most disgusting lies ever told. Trying to scare older folks into thinking they will be killed? This is most disgusting because it’s the same kind of lie that was told in the 1960s to scare people about Medicare. Yes, the same Medicare that most older folks rely upon today.

#2) “Rationing.” The health insurance companies take part in “rationing” all the time (to increase their outrageous profits) and it’s actually a part of health care reform to decrease rationing.

#3) “Socialism.” This word has lost all meaning because the Republicans use it so often. The “public option” is not socialism anymore than Medicare is socialism (and yes they called Medicare socialism in the 1960s when it was first introduced.)

#4) “Government Takeover.” No. First of all the public option is just an option. Anyone who prefers to stick with their private insurance can do so. Secondly, the public option is just a form of health insurance, it doesn’t drastically change the health care that you will receive, it just makes it more affordable.

#5) “Healthy Care Reform Will Cost Too Much.” This is simply not true. In the long run health care reform will actually save our country billions of dollars. Our current system is outrageously ineffective and if left unchanged will eventually bankrupt our entire economy.

#6) “Our Health Care System Is The Best In The World.” This is nothing but a lie. We rank #37 in the world in health care despite spending more money on it than any other country. We get less for more. We rank #50 in life expectancy so we are obviously doing something wrong.

#7) “Medicare Will Be Hurt By Health Care Reform.” How rich is it that the same people (the health insurance industry and their bought off politicians) that tried to kill Medicare from ever existing in the first place are now using scare tactics about Medicare being cut by new health care reform? The fact is, of course, that health care reform is designed to expand and improve Medicare.