We have been inundated with pro-single payer universal health care letters to the editor in our little town for the last few weeks. The writers are very accomplished at regurgitating DNC talking points, and couch their letters in simple words. These letters always start out by accusing anti-single payer universal health care advocates of creating "yelling matches, deception, noise, misinformation and outright lies." They also contain reams and reams of "information" most of which is unsubstantiated. Every single one of them have a list of "facts" that are listed by number.
I have addressed last weeks letters, and am in the process of putting together another letter that addresses the latest batch of propaganda via these "Letters to the Editor."
These are a few of these writers assertions:
1. There are currently over 40 million Americans without health care.
2. The cost of health care in this country is far higher than in any other country on Earth.
3. The US is the only developed country in the world where a serious illness is often the cause of financial disaster. Every day people (even those with insurance) lose everything and fall into bankruptcy just because someone got sick.
4. By almost any measure we have one of the least effective systems on eh planet. From infant death rates to elder care we rarely make it ino the top 20.
Profit is bad..has no place in health care..in fact counter productive.
Embarrassing because we are the richest country in the world.
We take care of one another.
Fat cats benefit at the expense of the infirm.
1. Single payer is socialized medicine.
Wrong. That would be the Veterans Admin. Or the British health care system where the government pays for the doctors and hospitals.
Under single payer, we get health care card and we can go to any doctor or hospital in the US.
Doctors are not employee of the government. Hospitals remain in private hands. We get free choice of doctor and hospital.
2. Single payer will lead to rationing, like Canada.
Wrong.
Right now, in the US, the private health insurance companies ration care. If we don't have health insurance, we don't get health care. That's why more than 50 American die every day from lack of health care.
There are some problems in the Canadian system, but most of what we hear about long lines is health insurance industry propaganda. Zero people die every day in Canada due to lack of health insurance.
3. cost will skyrocket under single payer.
Wrong.
Single payer is the only health care reform that will save enough money to insure everyone. By eliminating the health care industry, we save $400 billion a year in administrate costs and profits. We then use that money to insure those who lack insurance and fully cover those who are under insured.
Yes, more people will be seeking health care because they will now have insurance. But they will be taking care of medical problems early, thus preventing more costly treatment later.
4 Drugs will be more difficult to get under single payer.
Wrong.
The drug industry would have you believe that there will be less R&D (the writer spelled R&D out for the dimwits sake) under a single payer system.
In fact, much medical research is currently funded by the National Institutes of health. Under single payer, this would grow.
Also, drugs will be cheaper under single payer. When all patients are under one system the payer wields a lot of clout. For example, the VA gets a 40-percent discount on drug because of its buying power. The single payer buying power is the main reason why other countries' drug prices are lower than ours. Now you know why the drug industry is so opposed to single payer.
etc....
The above are direct quotes. |
