A viral mail is floating around about "Obama Care" and "Senior Death Warrants".
I need some help with getting to these fact challenged folks. They won't listen of course, as facts have no place in their world, but it's worth a try.
My Mom got this email from her circle of wingnuts.
Here is the text of the letter she got, and some of my thoughts after each point. I need some facts though, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Rec'd this from a good friend who was diagnosed with cancer last year See what his doctor is saying....
Wednesday, I was at the doctor whom I have been going to since we moved down here (he is the one who discovered my cancer). I have to get a very expensive shot every 3 months ($3000) that is designed to keep the PSI down and help to prevent a recurrence of the cancer. Has some uncomfortable side effects, and I was questioning the need to continue with it, which he assured me was necessary. He then asked how old I was, and when I replied 70, he said that if this legislation goes through as intended by the powers that be, that I probably would not be able to get it next year, as that would be money better spent on someone else with greater longevity. I would be referred to someone to "counsel" me.
Well - my first line of response is this.
- If the author of this email is really 70, then he will be staying on Medicare. I suppose that the author thinks that "Medicare cuts" will effect his ability to get the drug?
- I don't know what PSI is, I do know PSA (prostate specific antigen), I suppose that this is what the author is talking about, but again, why let facts get in the way of a good scare.
- This is in general the "death panel" argument that I thought had been debunked. My response was to ask in the email why "for profit" death panels (current insurance companies) are OK.
I asked him why the AMA had recently endorsed the plan. He replied that only about 15% of the nation's doctors were members of AMA, and most of them were not really on the front lines of doctorhood but in some other areas of medicine. He said he was a member, but would not be after this membership year.
I don't know whether this is true. The information I have seen is that the percentage is about 29%. Still, clearly not "all" doctors.
This is a nice logical fallacy, rather than deal with the claim, the author questions the source.
Anyway - help here would be good.
This man got part of his training in London , and practiced in Canada for 16 years before coming to the US , and he has no use for socialized medicine, regardless of how you wrap it, or what kind of bow to put on it. He said that we have a shortfall of around 400,000 doctors at the present time, and many of today's doctors are of the baby boomer generation who are nearing retirement and/or will decide to hang it up rather than deal with the results this is sure to bring.
Indeed - this is true, we have a shortage of PRIMARY CARE physicians, mostly because the reimbursement rate is 30-50% of what specialists get.
But - this bill does not do ANY of those things. It actually will INCREASE business, INCREASE reimbursement for primary care. Indeed, small radiology groups will get less money based on usage, but isn't that "fair".
Scary, my friends. The picture for our age group is not pretty in Obamaland.
SENIOR DEATH WARRANTS:
In England no one over 59 can receive heart repairs or stents or bypass because it is not covered as being too expensive and not needed.
I know this to be not true. Any direct source would help.
Obama wants to have a healthcare system just like Canada 's and England 's. I got this today and am sending it on.. If Obama's plans in other areas don't scare you, this should.. Please do not let Obama sign senior death warrants.
Everybody that is on this mailing list is either a senior citizen, is getting close or knows somebody that is.
Well - truthfully, I don't think the WH wants single payer like most of us here do. Also - the UK and Canada's systems are not identical (I believe).
Nice scare tactic though, "senior death warrants". I guess if the facts aren't on your side, resort to fear.
Most of you know by now that the Senate version (at least) of the "stimulus" bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens. The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle was credited today by Bloomberg with the following statement:
Bloomberg: Daschle says "health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them."
From what I have been able to find, here this is just not true. But, the SCLM doesn't carry any weight with these folks.
If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that our esteemed Senators and Congressmen have their own healthcare plan that is first dollar or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed for the remainder of their lives. Nor are they subject to this new law if it passes.
Well - yes and no. The congress does have a very nice health plan, but gasp, it's government run.
Hypocrisy runs so rampant in these guys. They rail against a health care system that would be like the ones congress has.
Please use the power of the Internet to get this message out. Talk it up at the grassroots level. We have an election coming up in one year and five months. And we have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration and its allies have begun and in the interim, we can make their lives miserable. Let's do this!
If you disagree, do nothing.
I assume this was a diatribe against single payer, which never really flew. I hope they get the Republicans to run against health care reform. We can get an even larger majority.