Jim DeMint On Health Care Reform: "Everyone Can Show Up At The Hospital" (VIDEO)

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) was caught off guard when pressed about health care in Washington D.C. earlier this week.

In footage of the incident posted by mrcawguy on YouTube, the South Carolina lawmaker said that his goal in the Senate's health care debate is to make sure that "everyone has an affordable [insurance] policy that they can own and keep, but it is frustrating that this process has nothing to do with that."

DeMint did not appear to know how many people in his home state lack health insurance, or the number that have gone bankrupt as a result of sky-high medical bills.

On South Carolina residents' medical-related bankruptcies, he said:

There are a lot of numbers floating around and it's really hard to know exactly what that number is, but bankruptcies, personal bankruptcies, business bankruptcies that occur, certainly do not justify health reform that raises the price of health insurance, which is what all of the outside analysis is saying this would do.

On the size of South Carolina's uninsured population, DeMint echoed former President Bush: "No one is going to go without health care because everyone can show up at the hospital, that's just not the most efficient way to do it."

While DeMint may not know his state's health insurance statistics, Cover The Uninsured South Carolina does: 19.4% of the state's population lacks health insurance and 74% of that group cites affordability as the primary reason they have not purchased health coverage. Furthermore, each uninsured individual in South Carolina imposes a cost of $1,936 on the larger health care system.

WATCH: Jim Demint Botches Health Care Facts

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Comments

[abbienormal]

06:09 AM on 11/06/2009

Mr. DeMint should take a refresher course in economics.

Does he really think that this passes for policy?

[BambooHarvester]

02:45 AM on 11/06/2009

Jim DeMoron !
~

[mikesw]

01:58 AM on 11/06/2009

What a good interviewer!

He was polite and allowed the Senator long opportunities to answer important and relevant questions.

Someone should hire him!

[DonJM]

11:08 PM on 11/05/2009

This poor, sad, delusional man.

[realpolitic]

07:06 PM on 11/05/2009

Sure, a diabetic can show up at the hospital to have a limb removed after neglecting long term treatment or a person who should have been taking hypertension drugs over the years can be brought there after suffering a stroke. If they had primary care visits with family doctors, they could have taken care of the diseases much earlier and not needed such expensive, catastrophic care. Such neglect ends up costing taxpayers millions!

[abbienormal]

06:12 AM on 11/06/2009

My thoughts exactly. I think that Republicans are really bad at math and try to cover it up with ridiculous little mantras like "We have the best health care in the world".

[realpolitic]

06:32 AM on 11/06/2009

Republicans seem to have almost a disdain for real information. If you tell them information like insurance companies deny 40% of the claims made by their clients in the state of Califonia, which is true, right away they start talking in platitudes like "I love America!" I guess if people loved freedom more than they would never get sick!

[MsJoanne]

06:31 PM on 11/05/2009

a republican unfamiliar with facts? seriously? whodathunkit?

I'd be more surprised by a gooper who was familiar with anything resembling truth or fact.

[hang319]

04:12 PM on 11/05/2009

What a prick! I think I'll show up at the hospital and tell them to send the bill to DeMint. Sounds fair to me.

[Manhattanite]

03:49 PM on 11/05/2009

Of course, everyome can show up at the hospital. Except that the hospital will -- duh! -- send the bill. And for some pesky reason of their own, hospitals insist that they get paid, unless you are indigent. So, they will hound you until you bankrupt yourself.

If DeMint and other GOPers would remove their heads from their behinds once in a while, they would be amazed at how beneficial oxygen is to their brain cells.

[chronic]

12:50 PM on 11/05/2009

I hope everyone is paying attention as to who is against the people.

[Abby1]

12:14 PM on 11/05/2009

He made a very stupid remark as it relates to health care and emergency room treatment. The purpose for an emergency room visit should be to treat emergency medical conditions that could cause further harm or death if not immediately treated. The emergency room is not for non-emergent medical conditions. He implies by his comment that emergency rooms are our health care safety net, when they are not. Also, when people get emergency room treatment or other hospital services and cannot pay, the financial burden shifts to the taxpayers and the insured (that must pay in the form of higher premiums). This is the reason why we need health care reform.

[babyboomerorig]

11:23 AM on 11/05/2009

Everybody show up at the hospital.

I know the hospitals in Columbia, SC....most are really great, but when you go to the emergency room you get emergency care only....maybe a diagnosis, immediate treatment, then released with a note from the ER doctor to take to your primary physician. So, who has one of them that they can afford to go to?

DeMint doesn't have a clue if he doesn't even know what his state's stats are. He probably doesn't know that most of his state wants a public option, either. Of course not...or, of course he knows and just doesn't care.

I have a great doctor, but I still can't afford to go see him.

[TRex86]

11:10 AM on 11/05/2009

Dr. DeMinto must think hospitals can print their own money. It's amazing how for all their free market blather Republicans are actually ignorant of basic economics. As there is no free lunch, so there is no free medical care. I suspect the last 30 years' orgy of tax cuts for the rich has created the illusion that the feds don't have to pay for things the right wingers want like wars and stuff.

[fairplaystacy]

10:31 AM on 11/05/2009

He's one of those people you hope doesn't have an organ donor card. In other words, when his time is up, there's no way we want any of his body parts getting a second chance in someone else's body. Just put all of him in the ground and cover it up with dirt.

[mummblemouth]

05:33 PM on 11/05/2009

Why wait? Bury this guy with phone calls, letters, emails, unpaid hospital bills, obituaries and the stubs of insurance bills.

[blueken]

10:27 AM on 11/05/2009

The only thing a hospital is obliged to do for the un-insured is stabilize them. Not cure them. Once the patient is no longer in danger of immediate death they are sent home to suffer and die. I don't blame the hospitals, they are just doing what they have to do to survive. I blame the dysfunctonal and wildly expensive heatlh care system in this country. It just doesn't make any sense.

[dmsdzinr]

10:06 AM on 11/05/2009

Any Politician who fights this hard against Health Reform for the PEOPLE needs their pockets checked.
GUARANTEED that there are numerous lobbyists residing there in those members pockets!