Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Liar, liar, pants on fire. (P.S. Your flammable skin is a pre-existing condition, and your treatment will not be covered.)

Oh you know we love talkin' about that health care reform. MoveOn.org is circulating a little thing called the Top Five Health Care Reform Lies—and How to Fight Back. Here they are, and here are our responses.

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma.
Get serious. Barack Obama doesn't even know your grandma. And if he did, we bet he'd love her. He'd probably give her a cupcake. What's the truth behind this little bit of verbal ridiculosity? 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, as well as aid them in tackling other tough issues facing older Americans. If you paid more attention to the older Americans in your life, you would realize they are facing many. Some people, (who smells Palin?) have referred to this service as a "death panel." Nope. That's not a thing.


To be fair, she's not much of a "reader."

Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan.
One more time, the goal behind health care reform is to give the people of these United States MORE choices. You currently have very few, because the market is cornered by private insurance. A government plan will be the competition these big companies need to get in check. Competition drives down costs and empowers the consumer. It's called capitalism. The consumer? You. We've said it once, and we'll say it again - you betta shop around. And with a public plan, now you can. You like your current insurance? La ti da - keep it! Don't like it? Or, don't have any? Boom - now you do. A government funded public option: that is a CHOICE. "Option" and "choice" are, in fact, synonyms.


Like Smokey's mama said, you betta shop around.

Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing.
Did you just say Soviet-style? Come ON. Ever heard of a pre-existing condition? What about an astronomically high deductible? What about just straight up being denied coverage for care you received (see "flammable skin")? Chances are, you have, because big insurance loves to throw those things in your face. All the time. The choke hold that private insurance has on health care, THAT is rationing. And it's super gross. That's why we need to curb vile practices like that with a universal plan. U⋅ni⋅ver⋅sal coverage. Well now, that's pretty much the opposite of rationing.


We tire of your silly, outdated references to the Soviet bloc.

Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits.
This obsession you have with painting Obama as some soulless young whippersnapper hell-bent on ridding the world of our beloved and respected septuagenarian population is very unbecoming. Let it go. Obama's plan includes measures to free up billions in Medicare dollars that are currently being doled out in overpayments to...any guesses?...private insurance companies.


Old is awesome.

Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America.
First, you picked a really cute time to get all up in arms about practices you feel might threaten the financial stability of these United States. Is that a joke? Well, a little more research will show you that this country is sinking absurd amounts of dollars into this decrepit health care system you insist on preserving. It is unsustainable. We spend more money on health care in a day than AIG spends on private jets for a year (That statistic was entirely fabricated for effect.) Health care reform is an investment in this country's future, and while we're all a little wary of the "i-word" these days, this, folks, is a good one. Put the money down now to save tons of monies - and lives - later. It's called "planning ahead," and it's a pretty good idea.


Our current system, only without that cutie young Tom Hanks.

Go to MoveOn.org to check out the super fancy facts and statistics behind all of this. And then forward this along to all your friends. We need real reform. Real bad. Right now. Let's get it done.

12 comments:

  1. As much as I love Cupcake Royale, I must say that you are completely blinded by your faith in Obama. A nationalized healthcare plan will not improve everyone's healthcare coverage. It is resonable to believe that most people who work for small companies will end up losing their private insurance and be forced to have the gov't sponsored healthcare.

    And to say that the gov't will not euthanize your grandma is pure hope on your end. Did you know that in Oregon a 64 year old woman was told by the state sponsored healthcare that they would not cover her treatment for cancer, but they would be more than willing to cover the cost of ending her life? All because the treatment plan was more expensive than the assisted suicide drug.

    The gov't only cares about the bottom line and when your medical costs are seen as too expensive, then your treatment will not be covered.

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  2. seriously what is wrong with people. Obama is not out to kill people. That woman in Oregon was 64 and yes now a days that is not very old but really if she had gone through treatment chances are she would have died form the kimo or been in so much more pain than was necessary. it is a wast of money to keep trying to keep the elderly health it is more humane to keep them comfortable and happy towards the end of their lives that to make them go through difficult and painful procedures just so their family can have a few more painful months with them. would you really want to see that happen to a loved one?
    like cup cake royal said the government plan gives more options, and small businesses would actually have a n easier time getting coverage because there would be MORE AND LESS EXPENSIVE planes and by the way government sponsored health care is better than private insurance i Have blue cross bleu shield thorough the government and it covers more than any of my friends private insurance covers

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  3. Let's just think about where Cupcake Royale is coming from here: they're a small business who believes strongly in health insurance for their employees. They pay as much for health insurance as they do for rent. They see health care costs rising, and coverage declining, and it worries them-- for their employees' sake. So they learn all they can about the issues, from all the angles, and this is where they stand. And they're not afraid to take a stand, like most companies, who will pander to the lowest common denominator. Before you attack this small Seattle business for trying to do the right thing at a very grass roots level, look at all the lies you swallow every day from big businesses who aren't just rooting for a particular agenda, they're lobbying for it.

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  4. Blind faith in Obama? Dennis Kucinich was the only presidential candidate in support of single payer, universal health care. Obama will mention it, but then say it's impossible. He's no hero to the left, but rather tried to be the hope of the middle.

    Let's try again with a bit of substitution for fun.
    "I love Cupcake Royale, but I must say that Kim is completely blinded by her faith in corporations. A privatized, for-profit healthcare plan will not improve everyone's healthcare coverage. It is reasonable to believe that most people who work for small companies will not be able to afford private insurance and might be lucky enough to have gov't sponsored healthcare.

    And to say that the your healthcare provider will not euthanize your grandma is pure hope on your end. Did you know that in Oregon a 64 year old woman was told by her insurance company that they would not cover her treatment for cancer, but they would be more than willing to cover the cost of ending her life? All because the treatment plan was more expensive than the assisted suicide drug.

    For-profit corporations only care about the bottom line and when your medical costs are seen as too expensive, then your treatment will not be covered."

    Their goal is to charge as much as possible and provide as little coverage as possible. Denying claims makes money. Paying claims means less profit, lower stock prices, and CEO's not getting their bonus...

    By no means am I suggesting that government can do no wrong. What I am suggesting is that government is inherently better suited than a for-profit corporation to provide essential services. Remember, government is responsible to we the people. Who is your health insurance company responsible to? Oh yeah, the shareholders, NOT anyone working for the company or anyone who has one of their healthcare plans.

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  5. Saying the government will just be another choice in a capitalist system and thus increase competition is ridiculous. Government is not in the system, they own the system, and there really is no competition to be had. Governement can undercut the other options all they want since, oh yeah, they print the money, not to mention control all the legal hoops companies must jump through.

    Make no mistake about it - a private choice will be eliminated, and those spearheading this move to single payer know it. Check out "The Public Plan Deception - it's not about choice" on YouTube.

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  6. Cupcake Royale creams Twinkies!

    Seriously, the most absurd and scariest part of this health care debate is we're wasting all this time fighting lies like "Obama's going to off your grandmama!" and everyone's going to be forced into government run health care.

    Meanwhile, a large percentage of Americans are without health care; and most of the rest of us worry how much longer our employers will be able to cover our insurance as we pay more of our own premiums and co-pays and are herded in and out of needed procedures and discussions about our health care without ever talking to a real doctor (though supposedly one performed the umm thorough exam while I was out, among many more in assembly line fashion).

    Soviet-style rationing from the capitalists? Hmmm. . .

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  9. as for healthcare, for all you folks saying that all government cares about is the bottom line, what exactly do you think private insurers care about? the people? trust me, your private insurers don't give a shit about you. they don't care who dies--as long as they get their profits. i say this from first hand experience.

    my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 48 and given 9 months to live. her private insurance refused to cover her chemo. i considered selling everything i had and taking out a loan to get her chemo, but it would only cover 1 and a half rounds (chemo was $20,000 per treatment there are 3 treatments in a round). so to say that existing private healthcare insurers are somehow benevolent people acting in your best interest, has been proven to be ridiculous (we aren't just hypothesizing here, go see Erin Brokovich or sick or any other movie/documentary about healthcare in the US). if you're poor, trust me they are already euthanizing "your grandmother" and your mother.

    they just don't aren't euthanizing the grandmothers of of rich, predominantly white folks YET. it's completely a class issue (you'll notice almost everyone arguing against some form of universal coverage has the money to afford good healthcare--or at least healthcare they 'think' is good until something goes wrong). you can try to scare folks with this rhetoric, but the truth is that we know the "scary things" that you're saying (government only cares about the bottom line) are already happening in our health care system. it's all just a lot of propaganda put out by private insurance companies and people who have a lot to lose if there is a public option. it's all just to scare people into having a knee-jerk reaction. it's all just people trying to hold onto their money and trying to scare us into making a choice that is actually against our best interests as a nation because "we're scared."

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  10. We love cupcakes and health care reform! Nice job doing your part to get the message out there.

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