Aug 13, 2009 12:30pm
Fact Check: Partisan Ad Wars and the Health Care Debate
EmailTelevision ads have filled the airwaves with various claims about health care reform. Some ads are scary — and totally inaccurate. Others make sweeping promises. Do any of them provide straightforward information? Kate Snow checked the facts on last night's World News. Take a look…
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before we criticize the Republicans, insurance industry, or medical groups from running possibly misleading ads. What about the big drug companies’ ads? They have ads for their patented, profitable drugs EVERYWHERE! And between those commercials all we get are shady shyster trial lawyers asking you to sue everyone. And what about all those Obama commercials during the campaign. Free speech allows you to express opinions if it isn’t totally true: whether its about “The One”, Obamacare, some frivolous lawsuit, or some unnecessary prescription drug.
Posted by: Ed | August 13, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
Re: Death Panel. Don’t any of these people know anyone who opted to not continue chemo treatments or to not have an operation when they were in their 80′s? These people were made aware of the consequences and they chose (on their own) to just let nature take her course.
Posted by: jozia72 | August 13, 2009, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
Has ‘joe public’ read the bill and if he/she has do they understand it?
Where can I find it to read it?
Posted by: Pamela | August 13, 2009, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
When will ABC be running a “fact check” on the falsehoods being presented by those in favor of this administration’s version of so-called “reform”? It would seem that ABC would have its viewers believe that only those who aren’t in complete favor of the administration’s plans are the perpetrators of misleading statements.
Posted by: Rich | August 13, 2009, 2:49 pm 2:49 pm
The above ad said: For pre-existing conditions, you have ‘five years to comply’. Are they saying the individual has five years to comply or does the insurance company have five years to comply? Also, to comply with what?
The individual has to comply and ‘get healthy’? Or the insurance company has to comply and ‘give the coverage’?
Which is it? Even the above reporting was confusing. Do you blame people for being frustrated?
Of course, people op out of an operation or medicine or procedure at times. That’s nothing knew.
A living will and education in general are all good things.
However, I repeat my concern:
Who would that consultant be working for? Nobody will try to influence you one way or another? No kickbacks? Well, lets phrase it nicely: No end of year bonus for that doctor, hospital, or consultant? Are you sure? Will the democrats be willing to put that in writing?
ABC, please fact check this. Thank you.
Posted by: ddg | August 13, 2009, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
During the decades of national health care in the Western world, I have heard of no society that denies care to its elderly. Are the deathers assuming that we Americans can not handle living wills as do people all over the world?
Posted by: Helen Jean Smith | August 13, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
People have been handling living wills for decades. Sometimes it written down officially. Most of the time our wishes are just voiced by ourselves or by love ones. I suggest a living will, personally.
That’s not what concerns people.
Who will that ‘Consultant’ (whoever it is) be working FOR?
Will the democrats put it in writing that there will be absolutely NO influence one way or another AND NO ‘bonus’ for that Consultant, nurse, doctor, hospital, insurance company.
It’s not that people are afraid of information. It’s any influence that could be presented to someone (even in gentle sublte ways) that concern most people.
That’s the bottom line.
Posted by: ddg | August 13, 2009, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
People are worried about the Health Care Freform Law, but miss that the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act already has 300 pages of medical provisions. Beware of the Regulations that are being written which will apply to all Medicare, Tri-Care, Tri-Care for Life, etc.
You are being warned that few, if any, have read the already existing law written in part based upon Tom Daschle’s book. It leads to a European Medical Service. Is that what America wants? I think not!
Posted by: BigDealNick | August 13, 2009, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
Yes, I’ll gladly take a European type healthcare plan. Then I won’t be scared to death (pun intended) by becoming so sick that my insurance company will dump me and let me face the “happy” prospect of going bankrupt or just choosing to die. (Talk about your death panels; we already have many sick people dying rather than bankrupting their families.)
Nor will I face the prospect, as I do now, because of Pre-existing conditions, of going broke if I become very sick, or of being rejected for nursing home insurance to face the prospect of leaving this world, not only penniless, but being a terrible financial drag on my survivors. Yes, bring on that European plan.
Right now we pay the highest per person for healthcare of all of the advanced nations and rank at or near the bottom in many critical care giving categories: such as, 19 of 19 in causing needless deaths by needless delays in diagnosis and effective treatment. The doctors want to do these procedures but the insurance companies have to stick their noses in to decide if they will cover them.
Ironically, all the charges against needed reform in healthcare are already happening under the current insurance-controlled system. WAKE UP.
Posted by: Igor | August 13, 2009, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
ddg. The exact purpose of the so-called horrible consultations is to give people the means of controlling how they leave this world. I have a living will, but still am not certain it will hold up if one of my more fervent Catholic relatives decides to fight pulling the plugs when I’m out of my mind with pain meds or in a vegetable state. If we didn’t have such a habit of dodging any talk of death in this country, we would take care of these matters well before they turned into a crisis. If someone wants to go broke, as they would today, by remaining plugged in, that will also be a choice they can make.
Posted by: Igor | August 13, 2009, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
Rich: Enough already with slamming ABC News. Fox News has successfully brainwashed their viewers into believing that every other news source in the world is biased except for Fox. The reality is Fox is the biased one. They are not even slightly fair or balanced. They are hardcore right wing agenda all day every day. Why are you even reading anything that isn’t on Fox? Really? Let’s face it, you won’t believe it, so why bother? It is called freedom of choice, use it.
Posted by: wired-up | August 14, 2009, 8:49 am 8:49 am
Igor: Great posts !!
Posted by: wired-up | August 14, 2009, 8:51 am 8:51 am
Insurance CEO’s are hired to make a profit for their respective companies. They do this by saying no to treatments that patients doctors say they need. This is counter-intuitive and is a conflict of interest at best. To make a profit off of peoples sickness by saying no is vulgar. Funny how the right wing “Christians” are against a national healthcare plan. So much for helping your neighbor.
Posted by: wired-up | August 14, 2009, 9:07 am 9:07 am
Everything in the health care debate, is totally partisan, in all camps. Everyone is looking out for themselves, and not the people, and the people can see it, and they will not accept it.
Back to the drawing board, Obama.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | August 14, 2009, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm