There were quite a few forehead slappers from last night GOP debate, from Ron Paul saying wouldn't we be protecting the "border between Iraq and Afghanistan", to Herman Cain claiming the 14th Amendment doesn't apply to "Illegals" when in very clearly does. The worst whoppers were their groundless and baselsss attacks on Healthcare Reform.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
– CLAIM 1 FROM BACHMANN: The Congressional Budget Office said the Affordable Care Act will kill 800,000 jobs.
The Facts are:
The CBO actually found that some people would leave the workforce or work less because they can find affordable health coverage elsewhere. This is a reduction in the supply of labor, not a reduction in the supply of jobs.
In other words people would no longer be locked into a job they didn't like simply because they can't afford to lose their healthcare. Under Reform, they should be able to get care elsewhere, and leave that crappy job behind either to get a better job or retire. I'd say that is actually a good thing, but apparently it's not in Right-Wing Alternative Universe.
– CLAIM 2 FROM BACHMANN: Obamacare took $500 billion out of Medicare, shifted it to build a new entitlement for young people.
The Facts:
The health law does not cut the current Medicare budget; it slows the growth in the program by removing $500 billion from future spending over the next 10 years. The cuts help stabilize Medicare by eliminating overpayments and slowly phasing in payment adjustments that encourage greater efficiency. As a result, the law extends the life of the Medicare trust fund by Nine years and allows seniors to retain all of their guaranteed Medicare benefits.
Contrary to the claim Obama has failed to address the demographic issues in the Medicare Trust Fund, the fact is that reform Extended the Life of the Trust Fund by another Nine Years. And that rather than installing Ryan's MediStamp Program what we really should do is allow Medicare to negotiate for better drugs prices and save 40% the way that the VA does.
– CLAIM 3 FROM ROMNEY: I would issue an executive order paving the way for Obamacare waivers to all 50 states.
The Facts via Thinkprogress:
The executive branch and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) don’t have the authority to grant blanket waivers — those powers are reserved for Congress.
This is true, however there is also another point - the Affordable Care Act already has waivers for "State Innovation" which is exactly what will allow states such as Vermont to implement a Single Payer Plan as long as their plan meets or exceeds the coverage requirements of the ACA.
– CLAIM 4 FROM PAWLENTY: Medicare is not financially solvent.
Thinkprogress Facts:
Medicare is fully solvent until 2024. After 2024, the hospital fund will still be able to meet “90 percent” of its commitments.
Let me add that the ACA actually extended the solvency of Medicare by 12 Years when it was first introduced, including placing the Trust Fund in Surplus for at least 2 years according to the 2010 Medicare Trustee Report
HI expenditures have exceeded income annually since 2008 and are projected to continue doing so under current law through 2013. Beginning in 2014, trust fund surpluses are estimated to occur throughout the short-range projection period and for several years thereafter.
In 2011 the life of the trust fund was downgraded by 5 years , not because of changes in the law, but because of the weak economy.
The worsening of HI's projected finances is primarily due to lower HI real (inflation-adjusted) non-interest income caused by a slower assumed economic recovery, and by higher HI real costs caused by higher assumed near-term growth in real economy-wide average labor compensation.
CLAIM 5 FROM SANTORUM: Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan is “identical to what seniors already have” — Medicare Part D.
Fact:
It’s not. The government pays 74 percent of costs in Medicare Part D and grows that support at the rate of program costs. “Ryan’s plan covers about a third of beneficiary costs, and that support grows at the rate of inflation — so much more slowly than the rest of the program, or than Medicare Part D.”
I would also add that Medicare Part-D is the Prescription Drug add-on implemented by the Bush Administration, whereas Ryan's Plan is much closer to Medicare Advantage where the government payments go directly to private insurance companies rather than to either Medicare Part-A (Hospitalization) or Part-B (Outpatient) which are 28% more Efficient than Advantage and would be phased out entirely.
– CLAIM 6 FROM SANTORUM: The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will ration care to seniors beginning in 2014.
Fact:
The IPAB kicks in if health care spending goes beyond a certain threshold and is statutorily prohibited from rationing benefits or increasing co-pays. In fact, Paul Ryan even supported a more aggressive IPAB-type reform in 2009.
Yes, the Advisory Board is blocked by Law from Rationing.
IPAB Cannot Ration Care, Increase Taxes, Change Benefits Or Eligibility, Or Increase Premiums And Cost-Sharing Requirements. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation: "The Board is prohibited from submitting proposals that would ration care, increase taxes, change Medicare benefits or eligibility, increase beneficiary premiums and cost-sharing requirements, or reduce low-income subsidies under Part D. Prior to 2019, the Board is also prohibited from recommending changes in payments to providers and suppliers that are scheduled to receive a reduction in their payment updates in excess of a reduction due to productivity adjustments, as specified in the health reform law." [Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2010]
The irony here is of course, the IPAB is prohibited from doing exactly what the Ryan Plan Does which is allow Insurers to continue gouging customers with higher premiums, deductibles and co-payment costs (CBO estimated about $7000 in out of pocket costs in current U.S. Dollars)
This "Death Panel" myth is one that just won't die - but it is indeed a myth.
Vyan