COVID-19 & Healthcare

New York Times eviscerates Romney Medicare lies

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In an editorial opinion today, the New York Times eviscerates the "Galt – Gekko 2012" campaign's "big lie" propaganda campaign on Medicare that is the core focus of the campaign. Truth and Lies About Medicare – NYTimes.com:

Republican attacks on President Obama’s plans for Medicare are growing more heated and inaccurate by the day. Both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made statements last week implying that the Affordable Care Act would eviscerate Medicare when in fact the law should shore up the program’s finances.

Both men have also twisted themselves into knots to distance themselves from previous positions, so that voters can no longer believe anything they say. Last week, both insisted that they would save Medicare by pumping a huge amount of money into the program, a bizarre turnaround for supposed fiscal conservatives out to rein in federal spending.

The likelihood that they would stand by that irresponsible pledge after the election is close to zero. And the likelihood that they would be better able than Democrats to preserve Medicare for the future (through a risky voucher system that may not work well for many beneficiaries) is not much better. THE ALLEGED “RAID ON MEDICARE” A Republican attack ad says that the reform law has “cut” $716 billion from Medicare, with the money used to expand coverage to low-income people who are currently uninsured. “So now the money you paid for your guaranteed health care is going to a massive new government program that’s not for you,” the ad warns.

What the Republicans fail to say is that the budget resolutions crafted by Paul Ryan and approved by the Republican-controlled House retained virtually the same cut in Medicare.

In reality, the $716 billion is not a “cut” in benefits but rather the savings in costs that the Congressional Budget Office projects over the next decade from wholly reasonable provisions in the reform law.

Obama campaign ad: ‘The Same’

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Obama campaign is up with a new ad, "The Same," hitting Paul Ryan for his "culture warrior" extremist views on women’s health.

Voiceover:

"He's made his choice. But what choices will women be left with?"

"Just like Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan would get rid of Planned Parenthood funding."

"In Congress, Ryan voted to ban all federal funding for Planned Parenthood…"

"…and allow employers to deny women access to cancer screenings and birth control."

"And both Romney and Ryan backed proposals to outlaw abortion … even in cases of rape and incest."

"For women…for president…the choice is ours."

Learn more: http://OFA.BO/94PQjp

Video below the fold.

Stephanie Cutter: I’ll see your whiteboard and raise

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Stephanie Cutter from the Obama campaign responds to Willard "Mittens" Romney's whiteboard lies about Medicare with a digital whiteboard of her own.

Cutter breaks down how the Romney-Ryan plan will end Medicare as we know it, turning it into a voucher system and making seniors pay up to $6,400 more. She also shares how President Obama is already strengthening Medicare and helping seniors save money.

Ross Perot must be loving this!

Video below the fold.

Repeal of the Affordable Care Act will cost current Medicare beneficiaries

by

Posted by AzblueMeanie:

First, a pet peeve. I do not know why our sad small town newspaper the Arizona Daily Star has a policy of not publishing the byline of the reporter responsible for the AP wire service reports it publishes in its newspaper, but neither I nor anyone else should have to waste their time searching for the original AP report to learn the name of the reporter responsible for the report. Publish the damn byline!

The Arizona Daily Star published an AP report today on A brief explanation of GOP, Dem differences on Medicare. This report is by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar from the AP. This "brief explanation" does more to mislead readers than it does to inform readers, because it leaves out relevant facts and makes inferences not supported by facts. Not a well done analysis in my opinion.

This report appears to be a summary version of another report by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar from the AP which was a well done analysis. Undoing Obama Medicare cuts may backfire on Romney – Boston.com. So why did the editors of the Star not choose this earlier report which informs, rather than misleads its readers:

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's new promise to restore the Medicare cuts made by President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law could backfire if he's elected.

The reason: Obama's cuts also extended the life of Medicare's giant trust fund. By repealing them, Romney would move the program's insolvency eight years closer, toward the end of what would be his first term in office.

Instead of running out of money in 2024, Medicare's trust fund for inpatient care would go broke in 2016 without the cuts, according to estimates by the program's own experts.

Coalition for expanded Medicaid (AHCCCS) in Arizona is forming

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It appears that Governor Jan Brewer, who once cast herself as a fierce opponent of the Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare") and made heartless cuts to the state Medicaid (AHCCCS) program for transplant recipients and imposed a freeze on childless adults and KidsCare enrollment, may now be hedging her bets on the success of the Ryan-Romney plan to repeal "ObamaCare" and to adopt the GOP Medicaid "let them die!' healthcare plan.

Governor Brewer's top advisers are attempting to create a coalition of hospitals, insurance plans, providers and other players to push Arizona to expand Medicaid under federal health-care reform. Brewer advisers form health pact to push to expand Medicaid:

Last week, the board of a statewide group of human-services providers agreed to hire Chuck Coughlin and Peter Burns, and the state's largest hospitals and health plans are considering signing on.

The pair would bring political and technical savvy to the complex realm of health care, with the goal of marshaling a united front of heavy-hitting businesses to push Medicaid expansion through the Legislature next session.

Brewer, whose spokesman was unable to say whether the governor was aware of Coughlin and Burns' coalition efforts, has been a vocal opponent of the federal health-care law, and she led efforts to cut state Medicaid programs in prior years. But she has recently indicated a willingness to consider expansion.

The stakes are high for health-care groups, businesses and Arizonans. If Brewer and state lawmakers agree to expand Medicaid, an additional 300,000 low-income Arizonans might get health coverage during the first year. If they don't, hospitals, doctors and health-care providers will continue to lose patients and lose money caring for the uninsured.