Death Panel Myth Creator Resigns From Medical Board

Betsy McCaughey, the Clinton-era health care reform foe who has risen again to fight President Obama's push, has resigned from her post on the board of directors of Cantel Medical Corporation to "avoid any appearance of a conflict on interest."

McCaughey has been a Wall Street banker, a Republican lieutenant governor, and a staffer at conservative think tanks, but as James Fallows noted at The Atlantic recently, she has falsely presented herself as a neutral researcher in the health care debate. She helped give birth to the pernicious "death panel" charge against health reform legislation with a column in Bloomberg News. Asked to defend her positions on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart Thursday night, McCaughey floundered.

The press release:

LITTLE FALLS, N.J., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CANTEL MEDICAL CORP. (NYSE: CMN - News) announced that on August 20, 2009 it received a letter of resignation from Ms. Elizabeth McCaughey as a director of the Company. Ms. McCaughey, who had served as a director since 2005, stated that she was resigning to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest during the national debate over healthcare reform.

Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMN - News) is a leading provider of infection prevention and control products in the healthcare market. Our products include specialized medical device reprocessing systems for renal dialysis and endoscopy, dialysate concentrates and other dialysis supplies, disposable infection prevention and control products primarily for the dental industry, water purification equipment, sterilants, disinfectants and cleaners, hollow fiber membrane filtration and separation products for medical and non-medical applications, and specialty packaging for infectious and biological specimens. We also provide technical maintenance for our products and offer compliance training services for the transport of infectious and biological specimens. For more information please visit http://www.cantelmedical.com.

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Comments

[SpiritHorse]

I'm sure she's still flipping back & forth, haphazardly to & fro, through many pages, pretending to be looking for words that aren't there to prove Jon Stewart wrong, wrong, wrong. I was reminded of an ardent 12 to 14 year old who is sincere, but hasn't done her homework and can't back up her words and opinions with factual, documented substance.

The teen can be forgiven and will most likely learn from the experience, but not the "grown-up" Ms. McCaughey. Words that come to mind are: disingenous, deceptive, manipulating, calculated, farcical,m­is/dis/uni­nformed, incredulous, sophmoric, and - simply unbelievable! Your grade, Ms McCaughey, should you choose to accept it, is a fundamentally founded "FF" - for pure "Failed Fanasty". The pretty smile was just a mask.......with nothing behind it.

[whybaby]

Dear Cantel Medical Corp.:

So, you've given Betsy McCaughey the heave-ho. As "a leading provider of infection prevention and control products", you acted appropriately; she's been pretty toxic to all concerned, and now radioactive to your company's image.

Nothing like giving the appearance of cleaning house.

[Passenger57]

"Floundered" doesn't quite do it for her "performance" on Jon Stewart's show...she reminded me of Wile E. Coyote, unrolling the wires to the TNT to try to blow up Obama's health care plans - but as she slinks away to detonate it, she doesn't realize it rolled up again and followed her into the cave.
Stewart disemboweled poor (not really) Betsy Wetsy. He did what the major, uh, "news" networks should have done long ago.

[SpiritHorse]

A nice analogy about her "perfomance" on "The Daily Show".

[msbeachwood]

Doesn't really matter; the damage is done. She will most likely quietly rejoin the board in the near future.

[StephCaster]

News reports last week said she was fired. So she was asked to resign, and did so.

[davidmichaelsmith]

Where's a death panel when you really need one?

[whybaby]

Good one.

[chancher]

To the list, add Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity.

[pigeonsailor]

Thanks Bronxdude.

Anyone ever see the movie Election? Doesn't she remind you of that crazy girl?

[sense11]

Probably, like a middle aged freaked out version oh her. Just a completely awful human being.

[Lionsden]

"Death Panel" is an excellent term for what will actually happen with Obama "Care".

Hahahahahahahah: "Care"

Hahahahahahahaha

Hahahahahahah

[Vernon Brown]

you could use a new drug plan

[Lionsden]

Vernon: enough of your hate speech.

[sense11]

How does it feel to be a T00L for the health "care" industry?? are you proud??

[Lemonsession]

Yeah, continue believing the lie that the U.S. has the best health care system. Then get cancer and be dropped by your health insurance for not spelling your name right on your application form.

[Lionsden]

Lemon: Continue believing that the feds have the Constitutional authority to seize the health care industy (he who pays the piper calls the tune).

Also, continue to believe you have the right to force other people to pay for your stuff. There is name for that, I learned it when I was young. And it is not a nice name.

Who ARE you to believe that you have the right to take other peoples property?

[Cryostatic]

Sanitariums really need to work on their patient security.

[Lionsden]

Cryostatic: take your hate elsewhere. Please.

[Martin Magee]

Your Logic is brilliant. May I quote you to my friends? Let's see if I captured it:

"Hahahahahahahaha"

There. Not a shred of reason, evidence, or argument. Typically, it stops dissent by mocking. Wonderfully done!

PS: That kind of hysterical laughter can sometimes indicate a psychotic break. Just saying....

[Lionsden]

Martin:

Have you always been so hateful or just online?

[blakeart]

Hey Bronxdude - ! As a fellow New Yorker, George Carlin “guest-blogged” my latest post - About the health care debacle everyone is yaking about! Check it out here:

http://blameblakeart.wordpress.com

Great post - it really hits the nail on the head... with all the examples of greed and ownership Carlin so famously hammered home in his last few HBO Specials.

[Bronxdude]

As a direct result of collusive, exclusionary and illegal practices that make a mockery of the Sherman Antitrust Act, predatory insurers like UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint funnel millions to crooked republicans in exchange for preferential treatment and favorable legislation, which allows them to eliminate competition, circumvent the system and fortify their monopolistic advantage by artificially controlling—for profit—the “free” market at the state level. There is no real choice when subscribers are forced to select doctors from a list complied and approved by degenerate insurance industry bean-counters. Doctors selected by UnitedHealthcare as “approved providers” are not done so because of their demonstrated level of peer reviewed expertise, exceptional competence and professional commitment; instead, they are chosen because of their willingness to accept extremely low reimbursement fees. In essence, with UnitedHealthCare, the notion of true choice and quality care is a farce because the subscriber is deliberately steered toward low-bid doctors willing to accept low reimbursement. Pick a non-approved doctor, and, similar to Pavlov’s dog, the subscriber is punished financially to deter such behavior from reoccurring. Those who agree to accept such ridiculously low reimbursement fees are not “the honor grads” of their class, or notably accomplished among their peers, and are singularly motivated by greed, not a desire to practice their craft competently and adeptly. The public option will allow Americans to select and receive the best care from the most competent practitioners, not just those answering ads for low-bid services.

[ChiefDog]

I'm for a strong, competitive public option, but I don't think all doctors who work for private insurance providers are the greedy sleaze bags you make them out to be. I also suspect that a fair percentage of the non-"honor grads" will make it to the public option system.

50% of all doctors graduated in the lower half of their class.

[Bronxdude]

UnitedHealthCare is relying on collusive and exclusionary practices to eliminate competition, consolidate their monopolistic stranglehold on consumers and corner the health insurance market. In an effort to defeat reform, UnitedHealthcare is ordering its employees to attend and disrupt town hall meetings. Under the current greed-driven arrangement negotiated by the parasitic insurance industry, 1 of every 4 healthcare dollars spent goes to insurance companies, which generates approximately $ 800 billion annually in profit that is divided amongst the top 7 seven insurers, to include UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint. The public option would cut reimbursement revenue to insurers and drug companies, not doctors. Morally corrupt insurers like UnitedHealthcare are aggressively pushing legislation (so far, the insurance industry has paid out $17 million in bribes to republicans) to shift more of the cost of healthcare (from 25 to 35 percent) to consumers, so the insurers can spend less of every premium dollar on actual healthcare, which translates increased profit for insurers. In comparison, even predatory casinos limit their profit on gamblers to no more than 20 cents on the dollar. Twofaced, shallow, hypocritical Christians: When Jesus healed people, he didn’t require precertification or verification of their coverage with BC/BS of Nazareth before curing their ills! Ruthlessly inspired capitalism that exploits the sick, downtrodden and poor represents a wicked collaboration between republicans and Satan. 50 million uninsured Americans is an evil blight upon our civilized nation. Public option now!

[One more Thing]

The insurance companies profit by either not providing care or by providing poor quality care and paying politicians to spread the lie that American has the BEST healthcare system!

[Jeffin90019]

I have United Healthcare, and I'm here to tell you that you're full of nonsense when you talk about only doctors who accept low payments being part of United. I have free choice over the doctors I visit. When I had brain surgery last year, I had access to some of the top surgeons in Los Angeles at the best hospital in Southern California.

I won't defend many of the insurance industry's practices, but thanks to quality healthcare, I'm alive and well today.

If Obama wasn't all talk and no substance, something might be happening on the reform front. But you can only lay so muhc blame at the feet of greedy insurance companies and obstructionist republicans. If Obama hadn't put his future in the incompetent hands of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Rahm Emmanuel, things might not be this messed up.

[Lisa Nicholson]

Well, Jeff, you're lucky then. I had United Health Care and fought like hell for every single pill, drop of antibiotic and doctor's visit for myself and my children when I was forced to use them by the State of Alabama as a dependent of a state employee. It was one of the worst experiences of my entire life. At the end of that year, every single one of the 33,000 state employees rose up in revolt and REFUSED to sign up with them again so the state had to find another insurer. It was awesome! And one of the few times I can EVER remember something like that happening.

[Bronxdude]

The Reagan deregulated, for-profit medical culture has methodically raped America, while complicit, lying and self-serving republican­s—silenced by payoffs and special interest—acquiesce. Only true competition will lower the cost of care. Since obstructionistic republicans support the systematic plundering of the middleclass by ruthless insurance corporations, this is why we need the government between the public and parasitic health insurers. Everything doesn’t have to make a profit. Republicans want you to remain sick and uninsured because there is profit in illness. When compared to the second quarter of 2008, profit for UnitedHealthcare increased by a whopping 155 percent, yet premiums continue to climb 4 times faster than wages. Real competition will end the monopolistic and greed-driven stranglehold enjoyed by morally corrupt insurers. Restricting choice and access drives up cost, increasing profit for health insurers, while working-class Americans continue to die. As it stands right now, without real marketplace competition, unregulated insurers like UnitedHealthcare not only dictate the cost of healthcare, but they also get to chose where, when and how coverage and care is doled out. Sleazy republicans in bed with insurance executives are relying on biased, distorted and flawed research concocted by the Lewin Group—a wholly owned subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare—to create lies to sabotage healthcare reform. Contrary to republican fear mongering, according to the World Health Organization, when it comes to providing affordable healthcare among industrialized nations, France ranks first, Canada thirtieth and America thirty-seventh. Public option now!

[truthlover2]

Thank you Bronxdude. I wish people who are parroting this crap like mindless robots would read your posts and actually think. Another example of total abuse is Medicare Advantage. Plain old Medicare is so much better . A lot of old people are being taken advantage of . (Maybe that's how the plan got its name.)

[Bronxdude]

Predatory insurance corporations are spending more than $1.6 million per day to buy republican votes, gin up fear and defeat reform. When it comes to receiving payoffs from the insurance industry, of 535 Congressmen, Grassley and Conrad rank 29th and 35th, respectively; therefore, how can I trust them to represent my best interest when it comes to negotiating healthcare reform? Making money off human pain is a republican principle. Real competition is the de facto monopoly buster. 20,000 people die each year because they don’t have health insurance. This is criminal and immoral. Georgia state employees have no due process patient protection rights, a negotiated constraint that gives UnitedHealthcare carte blanche to chose who lives and who dies. If competition is the lynchpin of free-market capitalism, why is UnitedHealthcare afraid to compete on a level playing field? Limiting choice drives up cost, benefiting the insurer, which is why slime-dog republicans defend the middleclass being systematically bilked by corporations like UnitedHealthcare. Through mendacious scare tactics, lying republicans curry favor and fear monger by preaching that reform will lead to rationed healthcare and place restrictions on doctor choice. Contrary to specious talking points propagated by solution-less republicans, as it stands right now, without true marketplace competition, insurers not only dictate the cost of medical care, but they also get to pick and choose who receives coverage and care. Despicable republicans will not retreat quietly from millions in payoffs. Public option now!

[Bronxdude]

Republicans aren't interested in offering real solutions and engaging in a civil debate over healthcare reform. The Party of No is spreading vicious lies and resorting to shameful scare tactics to gin up fear to defeat reform. Grassley, Palin and Blunt claim healthcare reform will create government “death panels.” The claim of government sponsored euthanasia is a lie, manufactured by self-serving republicans loyal to the insurance industry. The amendment Palin is referring to was introduced by Johnny Isakson and it allows individuals to control their own health care decisions via the implementation of an optional living will. Every time you walk into the examine room, there are 4 people in the room: you, your doctor, the predatory insurance executive overseeing your healthcare and the sell-out republican protecting the immoral health insurance industry. No American should go broke or have to file bankruptcy because they get sick. The republican debacle surrounding Terri Schiavo was allowed to unfold because there was no living will in force specifying her wishes for life-extending measures under various scenarios. While republicans say they despise government intrusion, they were quick to exploit Ms. Schiavo and meddle in her affairs for political gain. A living will would have prevented the republican led public spectacle that forced Terri Schiavo to endure suffering and disgrace. Everyday, 14,000 Americans lose healthcare coverage, and another 100,000 are denied life altering care due to a preexisting condition, while parasitic health insurers profit.

[PortlandZoo]

thanks Bronxdude

very comprehensive and compelling posts.

[cutesky]

Bronxdude...You are the BOMB!!!!

[Cryostatic]

I'm not sure democrats are interested in doing so either, at the moment.

[PathofTotality]

Man, in that picture she looks down right possessed.­..........­.......

As other have said, to little to late, especialy since she has been saying it since Clinton.

[Bronxdude]

Possessed with power and money!