Olbermann calls out Palin for her "Death Panel" lie

[Dr.Who]

Do people still watch this guys? I heard their rating were in the tank.... I wonder why....?

Because he has a personal vendetta against Sarah Palin who is not even a public official and never did half (or even 10%) of what they said she did/said.

 

[top gun]

SEC. 123. HEALTH BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

(1) RECOMMENDATIONS ON BENEFIT STANDARDS- The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subtitle referred to as the `Secretary') benefit standards (as defined in paragraph (4)), and periodic updates to such standards. In developing such recommendations, the Committee shall take into account innovation in health care and consider how such standards could reduce health disparities.

(2) DEADLINE- The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall recommend initial benefit standards to the Secretary not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(3) PUBLIC INPUT- The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall allow for public input as a part of developing recommendations under this subsection.

(4) BENEFIT STANDARDS DEFINED- In this subtitle, the term `benefit standards' means standards respecting--

(A) the essential benefits package described in section 122, including categories of covered treatments, items and services within benefit classes, and cost-sharing; and

(B) the cost-sharing levels for enhanced plans and premium plans (as provided under section 203(c)) consistent with paragraph (5).

Which is all legal speak for they will decide what to cover and what not to cover. Not only for the public plan but also, with less control, for all private plans.

Here's the things you conveniently are not mentioning. Important stuff if you want to portray the real picture.

First... this would be the system for the less than 10% of the public that might choose the public option (the current estimate is 4%).

Then we have this...

INSURANCE COMPANIES DO THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!! They have all kinds of denials for a huge range of reasons including age appropriateness.

Why is it that the Right always feels the need to create a false boogieman whenever they can't get their way?

Top Five Health Care Reform Lies—and How to Fight Back

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!

The truth: These accusations—of "death panels" and forced euthanasia—are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the Associated Press puts it: "No 'death panel' in health care bill."4 What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision, supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a professional medical counselor who will provide them with information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older Americans.5

Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!!

The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options.6 Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down.7

If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them.8 But the new public plan will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it, including many who simply can't afford health care now.

Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing!!!

The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered—that is rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop that.


Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick, gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on coverage.9 And outside of that, as noted above, reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation.

Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits!!!

The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits.10 Reform includes savings from Medicare that are unrelated to patient care—in fact, the savings comes from cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.11

Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!

The truth: We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy—to control spiraling costs that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy.

Right now, we spend more than $2 trillion dollars a year on health care. The average family premium is projected to rise to over $22,000 in the next decade—and each year, nearly a million people face bankruptcy because of medical expenses. Reform, with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur competition, is necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs. Also, President Obama's reform plans would be fully paid for over 10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.

We're closer to real health care reform than we've ever been. We need to make sure the truth about health care reform is spread far and wide to combat right wing lies.

 

[TheFranklinParty]

Here's the things you conveniently are not mentioning. Important stuff if you want to portray the real picture.

First... this would be the system for the less than 10% of the public that might choose the public option (the current estimate is 4%).

Then we have this...

INSURANCE COMPANIES DO THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!! They have all kinds of denials for a huge range of reasons including age appropriateness.

Why is it that the Right always feels the need to create a false boogieman whenever they can't get their way?

Top Five Health Care Reform Lies—and How to Fight Back

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!

The truth: These accusations—of "death panels" and forced euthanasia—are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the Associated Press puts it: "No 'death panel' in health care bill."4 What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision, supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a professional medical counselor who will provide them with information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older Americans.5

Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!!

The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options.6 Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down.7

If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them.8 But the new public plan will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it, including many who simply can't afford health care now.

Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing!!!

The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered—that is rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop that.


Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick, gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on coverage.9 And outside of that, as noted above, reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation.

Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits!!!

The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits.10 Reform includes savings from Medicare that are unrelated to patient care—in fact, the savings comes from cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.11

Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!

The truth: We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy—to control spiraling costs that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy.

Right now, we spend more than $2 trillion dollars a year on health care. The average family premium is projected to rise to over $22,000 in the next decade—and each year, nearly a million people face bankruptcy because of medical expenses. Reform, with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur competition, is necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs. Also, President Obama's reform plans would be fully paid for over 10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.

We're closer to real health care reform than we've ever been. We need to make sure the truth about health care reform is spread far and wide to combat right wing lies.

I agree with you that the radical right's depiction of the Healthcare Bill is out of whack.

With that said, there is explicit language in the House's version of the bill that suggests a pullback in care for people who are judged as past the point of care. Even the President has said publicly that we'll have to tighten our belts on what we can expect to receive in terms of end of life care. I'm not even going to argue right or wrong here. What I will argue is that with insurance companies you have legal recourse to force them to act on your behalf. With the government you won't.

I'm not a fan of insurance companies, but private enterprise is part of what makes this country great. We already have two socialized medical plans in this country Medicare and Medicaid. They are run by the government and they are both in trouble because their estimates and management were way off. Why should we trust the same thinking now? I would rather see smaller steps taken to lower over health costs like Tort Reform and Interstate competition but that's just me.

 

[KingClovis]

Obama has already declared war on the unborn. Now he wants to kill off the elderly. Who is next?

 

[Dr.Who]

First... this would be the system for the less than 10% of the public that might choose the public option (the current estimate is 4%).

Then we have this...

INSURANCE COMPANIES DO THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!! They have all kinds of denials for a huge range of reasons including age appropriateness[/COLOR].

Why is it that the Right always feels the need to create a false boogieman whenever they can't get their way?

Yes, insurance companies do deny claims. There are over 3000 insurance companies in the country and you have a right to read the contract when you choose one and bring your complaints to the government when they do not abide by their end and then to pick another one if they do not satisfy you. I would much rather fight an insurance company that holds 1/3000ths of the pool with the help of Uncle Sam than to fight a federal city hall that controls most of the economy with little to no chance of winning

With the public option your ability to change once you are enrolled will be nill, if you have a complaint you will only be able to complain to the the same government that runs the insurance company (conflict of interest), and you don't get to change if you are unhappy. While the right and the left DO create boogiemen there is nothing false about that.

But speaking of conveniently ignored facts:

There is no doubt that Obama wants to create a single payer system and that this is the path to that, there is no doubt that while 'you can keep your present insurer' no insurer will be able to recruit new customers (yea that's competition) so that eventually the number of people on the public plan will grow and grow and grow.

 

[Dr.Who]

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!

The truth: These accusations—of "death panels" and forced euthanasia—are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the Associated Press puts it: "No 'death panel' in health care bill."4 What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision, supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a professional medical counselor who will provide them with information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older Americans.5

President Obama wants to reduce care that Grandma might otherwise want, to encourage her to refuse care, and to have panels that will get to make the decision about treatments regardless of her wishes. The doctor will be paid to provide such 'counseling' (conflict of interest) and once it begins he will have no choice but to discuss euthanasia. Euthanisia is a part of the Obama plan! Oh, and the AARP has publicly stated that they do not endorse this plan.

 

[Dr.Who]

Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!!

The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options.6 Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down.7

All private insurance will not be outlawed but no one will be allowed to change from one to another private insurer, no one will be allowed to change out of the public plan once on it, if one's employer does not provide insurance one will be forced onto the public plan, and what is being referred to when people say that - all individual private insurance will be outlawed. So yes in some cases Obama will outlaw private insurance. The people who made that claim are correct. And yes there will be many ways in which people are directed into the public plan with no choice.

Further more the number of non-public options will almost certainly decrease dramatically as a result of the public option. Quality will almost certainly go down and even the CBO admits prices will go up. Not that we needed to CBO to know that the costs will go up with government involvement.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

She's claiming this so called "death panel" could decide, that certain citizens, namely "the sick, the elderly, and the disabled" and based on their “level of productivity in society,” would not be "worthy of health care"....

I'm thinkin'....the only pertinent-opinion is the one offered, by a Republican: Sarah Palin is NUTZ!!!!​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

All private insurance will not be outlawed but no one will be allowed to change from one to another private insurer, no one will be allowed to change out of the public plan once on it, if one's employer does not provide insurance one will be forced onto the public plan, and what is being referred to when people say that - all individual private insurance will be outlawed. So yes in some cases Obama will outlaw private insurance. The people who made that claim are correct. And yes there will be many ways in which people are directed into the public plan with no choice.

Further more the number of non-public options will almost certainly decrease dramatically as a result of the public option. Quality will almost certainly go down and even the CBO admits prices will go up. Not that we needed to CBO to know that the costs will go up with government involvement.

You forgot to mention which commercial health-insurer is providing this irrefutable-data.

​

 

[Dr.Who]

Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing!!!

The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered—that is rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop that.


Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick, gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on coverage.9 And outside of that, as noted above, reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation.

Not soviet style but his own brand of rationing. More people than now will have health insurance but there will not be more people with health care. So the role of the middleman will get larger and the middleman will be government. There will be less choices for coverage.

Right now I pick my insurer and agree to the rationing contractually and up front. I do not agree to have gov ration my care and to have little to no recourse if I disagree. You see the difference right?

If we wanted to get rid of the problems in health care we could do it in a way that does not lead to a single payer (read socialism) system. The single payer system is the goal. The gov will be no less nefarious than the private companies but they will be a whole lot more powerful.

The only item on that list I disagree needs to be addressed is the pre-existing condition clauses. Can you imagine a scenario in which you bought a new car and then as you were leaving the lot you had an accident. Then you called an insurance company and told them you wanted auto insurance effective as of yesterday so that the accident would be covered? If you can then you don't know the difference between health insurance and health care. Insurance does not cover events that have already happened. Health care does.

 

[Dr.Who]

Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits!!!

The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits.10 Reform includes savings from Medicare that are unrelated to patient care—in fact, the savings comes from cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.11

As I understand it medicare is going bankrupt and the plan is designed to save medicare by lumping it in with another plan.

Medicare benefits will not be cut exactly. But seniors will be enrolled in the new public option and then they will have their care rationed in ways that are not presently allowed under medicare.

Does medicare presently overpay insurance companies, engage in waste, fraud, and abuse? If yes then it is a perfect example of how bad gov handles things. (It is anyway). If not then how can these things be cut to save medicare money? Right, they will make these illusionary savings in the health insurance that is not a part of medicare and then give those savings to the medicare fund (assuming there are any). The CBO does not agree that there will be significant savings if any.

We could save a lot in these ways and other ways if we reduced the gov involvement except that the proper role of gov is to protect our rights in a free economy. Let them do that alone and just maybe they will finally get good at it.

 

[Dr.Who]

Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!

The truth: We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy—to control spiraling costs that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy.

Right now, we spend more than $2 trillion dollars a year on health care. The average family premium is projected to rise to over $22,000 in the next decade—and each year, nearly a million people face bankruptcy because of medical expenses. Reform, with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur competition, is necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs. Also, President Obama's reform plans would be fully paid for over 10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.

We're closer to real health care reform than we've ever been. We need to make sure the truth about health care reform is spread far and wide to combat right wing lies.[/COLOR]

Yea is just might bankrupt America. The best measure we have of how bankrupt we are is the federal deficit and right now it looks really really bad.

The cost of health care has not risen all that much when adjusted for inflation and the amount of care we now get. When you buy better stuff it costs more.

His plan will not increase competition and will increase costs. And I am actually laughing at your notion that the deficit will not increase.

We are closer to the worst kind of reform that has ever hit us than we have ever been. It's a good thing that it looks like America is waking up.

Spreading truth sounds like a good idea. You are aware that the left wing lies are as bad as the right wing ones. From where I sit the left wing ones will lead to a far worse case scenario and I see more of them. I would even say that a few of your myths that you posted are strawman arguments which is a kind of lie.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

What else would you call a government committee (the Health Benefits Advisory Committee) that decides what treatments are effective and which ones are not and then decides for a person if they will get the treatment or not?

A committee that bases decisions on cost as well as the scaled health ranking of the person getting (or not getting) the treatment?

A committee that one cannot escape by moving to another state. A committee whose decisions cannot be escaped by joining a private insurer or self-paying. A committee whose decisions can only be questioned by appealing to another government agency.

Yeah....we hardly (that's not-hardly; for Bush-fans) need all-of-that duplication.....​

"You can't imagine what it's like to be advised that you need to “make some decisions,” like whether your mother should be released “HTD” which is hospital parlance for “home to die,” or if you want to pay out of pocket to keep her in the ICU another week. And when you ask how much that would cost you are given a number so impossibly large that you realize there really are no decisions to make. The decision has been made for you. "Living will" or no, it doesn't matter. The bank account and the insurance policy have trumped any legal document."

 

[GenSeneca]

We need to make sure the truth about health care reform is spread far and wide to combat right wing lies.[/COLOR]

 

[r0beph]

Nah the right wing isn't full of Nazis. A couple nationalist-extremists, perhaps. Mostly its just old racists...