Words Designed to Kill Health Care Reform

Over and over again, I hear from Oregonians that we need real health care reform that provides every American with access to quality, affordable care. That is why Congress and President Obama are so focused on this issue.

Of course there are folks in the insurance and hospital industries, from the medical profession, and both political parties who will have different ideas about how to achieve our goal. But I was shocked when I read a memo from Republican strategist Dr. Frank Luntz laying out plans to dismantle any effort to give all Americans access to quality health care. Dr. Luntz, the man who developed language designed to promote preemptive war in Iraq and distract from the severity of global warming, is at it again -- this time with a messaging strategy designed to sink our historic opportunity for health care reform.

Let's be clear: this is not a strategy to push certain ideas about health reform. It is a strategy intended solely to kill reform efforts altogether. In his own words, Dr. Luntz has stated, "You're not going to get what you want, but you can kill what they're trying to do."

Not surprisingly, since the American public is strongly in favor of fixing the broken health care system, the Luntz strategy is predicated on deception.

In his memo, Dr. Luntz lays out multiple ways that opponents of health care reform can trick and manipulate the American public. One strategy that stood out to me is to call efforts to reform our broken health care system a "bailout for the insurance industry." This is ridiculous. This statement is developed to serve the same interests who stopped at nothing to derail health care reform in the 90's, who blocked health care coverage for low-income children, and whose top Medicare priority for 15 years has been transferring money from seniors and taxpayers to the insurance industry.

When support for a prescription drug benefit in Medicare became too powerful to ignore, President Bush and his allies created the convoluted system we now have. Rather than simply add a prescription drug benefit to the tried, true, and popular Medicare program as Democrats wanted, they devised a giveaway for insurance companies. For years Dr. Luntz's clients have virtually abdicated health care policy making to the insurance industry; the last thing it needs is a bailout.

Today though, even the insurance industry is engaged in constructive negotiations about how to repair the health care system. Unfortunately for the vast majority of Americans who support reform, however, Dr. Luntz's new game plan to stop change is being embraced by leaders in the Republican Party. In a briefing where Dr. Luntz presented his strategy to Republican House members, Rep. Mike Pence from Indiana, the chairman of the House Republican Conference, made it official by saying, "Frank is back."

So expect a massive misinformation campaign coming to a health care debate near you. Opponents using Dr. Luntz's doublespeak will argue for a "balanced, common sense approach" to health care but what they really want is to keep the system the way it is. They'll say that a public plan will not be "patient centered," but their real goal is to block accessible health care for every American. They'll say reform will deny Americans "choice" even when every American will be allowed to keep their health insurance and their doctor. They'll claim that the "quality of care will go down," while callously ignoring the fact that millions of Americans have no health care at all and millions more are denied the medications and procedures they need.

What we are seeing, yet again, is that while Dr. Luntz and his clients may have excellent polling data, they are utterly clueless about what the American people want.

But, I have to give Dr. Luntz credit on one front: he points out that Republicans need to appear to be on the "right side of reform" or they lose the health care argument. The problem is that you can't fake support for reform. You're either for improving the quality and affordability of health care or you're against it. You're either for expanding coverage to every American or you're against it. At the end of the day, no matter what talking points they use, each member of Congress is going to have to vote for or against improving our broken health care system.

With small businesses and families being buried by rising costs, with 47 million uninsured, millions more underinsured and American companies losing ground against their global competitors, it is evident to anyone that our health care system is broken. There are Republicans and Democrats, insurance executives and patient advocates, physicians and hospital representatives all working to meet one of America's most pressing challenges. We certainly do not all agree on what a reformed health system should look like or how to get there, but there are people on all sides who are negotiating in good faith. The country deserves that debate on the merits, not poll-tested attack lines intended to prolong the broken system we have today.

Comments

[VictoriaP]

Single payer healthcare is critical to the economic recovery. People cannot work and be productive if they are unnecessarily sick. A common lie perpetrated by MSM and politicians is that 85% of Americans are currently happy with healthcare. Well, what they don't tell you is that this statistic conveniently does not include people who DON'T have any healthcare!

It is asinine for one to believe that 47 million uninsured Americans would prefer NO healthcare at all as opposed to having healthcare provided by a government sponsored program.

This healthcare issue has become more critical with the millions of newly unemployed who cannot afford to maintain their benefits through COBRA. Politicians who do not legislate in the interests of the American people will increasingly be voted out of office. The increased availability of information and digital records will neuter corrupt politicians. It will take time but these political liars and corporate w-hores can't hide in the digital age, like they could in years past.

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

Most HuffPo bloggers are loathe to lay any blame for U.S. health care costs on anyone but REPUBLICANS and the health insurance industry; however, there is the little matter of PHYSICIANS'S (notoriously "specialists") COMPENSATION. Physicians' fees in the U.S. are both EXCESSIVE and rigged against any sort of compensation.

NO COINCIDENCE that most physicians are REPUBLICANS!!!

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

You can blame HMOs for malpractice insurance as well as med school costs that take over a decade to pay off for high physican costs. HMOs are also to blame for the amount of paperwork they foist off on physicians which requires time and effort as well as often staff to handle it.

[gfulmore]

It's my understanding that new doctors flock to Northern California Kaiser because they paid about $200K per year with defered benefits and they have little to no responsibility for administrative tasks, such as advertising, managing and hiring staff, worrying about leasing and renting facilities and equipment, etc. You may be talking about the HMO systems from the private companies that are now dropping like flies since they no longer will be getting the premium from Medicare Advantage for patients. HMOs that have physicans in their employment, like Northern California Kaiser, do not have the billing paperwork issues you talk about. And, as for malpractice, it is my understanding that insurance for such is about 1% of the overall cost of health insurance in the U.S. It is really not a major factor. Plus, I think HMOs have some protections that the private organizations do not have for malpractice.

[Sensiblebg]

If the doctor fixes your problem why care what his or her motives are?

[ScreenName05]

No, I do not blame Republicans. I blame the health insurance companies. Republicans are simply too dumb to understand the problem or come up with solutions, so they need to sit down and keep their mouths shut, so the smart people can fix the real problems. If they are not capable of keeping their mouths shut they should move to a free market country, like the Arab Emirates or Bangladesh, where they can get all the free market health care they want, or rather whatever the rich people allow them.

[sandals]

The Rethugs don't want this to go anywhere, if it does they will be out of power for a very longtime.

Why do you think they slam Social Security, Medicare all the time, because those things actually work but they want the American People to believe that Government is bad.

[Gnosisquest]

When it comes to health care I have received care in countries where there is socialized medicine such as Norway, Canada and Denmark.

In the US I have been a member of Etna, Scott White, Kaiser, Health Plan of Nevada and others.

The main difference between the HMO's and true health care is that HMO's practice medicine for money. While most doctors practice medicine for the betterment of society and their love of humanity the HMO's make it tantamount to "love for sale". In other words comparing the two systems is an insult.

This insult is further compounded by the lies about waiting time in countries where socialized medicine is available. I have never to wait for service in other countries as long as I have in the US. The scare tactics employed by the HMO's is only indicative of the desire the HMO's have to line their pockets in lieu of medical coverage. Those politicians that follow the lines of the insurance companies are by their action admitting to be criminals for they have sold out the people they are supposed to represent in favor of lining their pockets and leaving their constituents to die.

With the worst health care of any industrialized nation along with the costliest it is a clear indication of how the criminals in Washington trashed the notion of "Government for the people by the people"!

[Mugzi]

Wow, that is different from here...Drs that actually care about their patients! There is a website 1payer.nett" which has lots of petitions to complete which are very user friendly. There is also a short video with Mike Farrell. We must send all the petitions to be heard over the insurance lobbyists!

[weslenforever]

If the founders wanted all of these social programs to be in the "general welfare" clause, why didnt they provide them when they wrote it?

Because they were HUMAN and they had no powers to even IMAGINE the extent of corruption that would become tantamount to the "vaulted leaders" who would run the government all these many years later. That's why they made the Constitution open to CHANGE, except for a few inalienable rights that can't BE taken away on the whim of a corrupt government.
One of those RIGHTS is the FREEDOM to choose your OWN religion or NONE and to NOT have your religion FORCED on to others who want no part of it.

I guarantee you that IF universal health care came to a universal VOTE, such as a constitutional ammendment, 70 percent or more of the American People would vote FOR it. Then, those of you who still WANT to pay a years salary or more, for WORKING PEOPLE, each year for NOTHING, we will give you a standing ovation while you PAY. And if you decide to move out of the country to avoid your TAXES, we will wave goodbye with bells and whistles as you GO.

[Megan97401]

But why didn't they include abortion and stem cell research? Hmmmm???

LMAO.

[lisakaz2]

What quality of care? I supposedly have health insurance but they refuse to cover me. I had to go outside of coverage to get a doctor and a test to tell me what's wrong: lyme disease. I have TWO tests in fact (at over $400 apiece) that say this but when I tried to get a local caregiver to put me in touch with an infectious disease doc, I was refused: "We don't think you have lymes (sic) disease. We think you should see a neurologist." Total bunk. I told the assistant flat out (after laughing profusely): I bet your insurance company told you to say that. Good thing I'm not listening and made my own appt to see a rheumatologist. Then I hung up.

[Mugzi]

I am sorry..perfect example of health insurance versus health care! They are not the same! We need universal health care - single payer system. Our current system is run by companies with a bottom line, not the care of patients.

[gfulmore]

A friend of mine has had the same problem. He was finally diagnosed with lyme disease. His insurance company refuses to pay for him to see a specialist for the disease, plus they refuse to pay for medication prescribed by the specialist. My friend is paying thousands of dollars out of his own pocket each month AND HE IS FULLY INSURED. The problem with our current system is that when you get to be an individual case that requires specialized coverage, many of the companies fight you tooth and nail to pay for coverage. And as an individual, you are left on your own, even as you are having to fight your medical condition.
It's a classic David and Gollath setup. But we should remember that David won that fight. That is our goal: To establish a national health insurance program in the United States that meets the needs of all, whether one has a general problem or a specific one, or no problems at all.
Look at all the people with cancer that are now being refused chemo because it is not determined to be an emergency situation. Without the chemo, the patients are sure to die. What a shame. Good luck to you in your fight against Lyme Disease and against your insurance company.

[ScreenName05]

Why does anyone still think that health insurance companies would actually pay for a claim? They are not in the health insurance claim paying business, they are in the health insurance fee collection business. The easiest way to make money is to get someone else to give you their money and then refuse to give it back. This is the definition of health insurance in the U.S. IT also fits nicely for U.S. banks.

[ConnorMarc]

One of the funniest things that GOPers/Conservatives say is "do you want a beaureoucrat(sp) telling you what doctors you can see and/or what medications you can take?" I mean, right now its the damn insurance companies that tell you what doctors you can see or what medications you can take. And we all know who's interest they are for.

ROTFLMWIAO!!

[lisakaz2]

And they tell you what care you can and cannot have.

[Who Knew Too]

What Senator Merkley is discovering is simply this; The ONLY way the repugs can achieve their stated goals is through lies and other unethical means.

Over the last THIRTY years, I've watched in horror as the repugs have lied about people, issues, emergencies, and financial matters. I've watched reagan, and both bushes look right into TV cameras, and lie us into wars we didn't have to fight, on issues that have proven to be falsehoods. For example, reagan wanted a fast, simple show of our 'might', so without cause, invaded the tiny island of Granada. we've all seen the satellite photos of a clear Saudi border free of the enemy he told us were massing there. And, when it comes to bush 43, his lies are too numorus to catalog here.

So, when we learn this party of falsehoods is gearing up to work in a deceptive manner to support their masters in the insurance lobbies, I have to ask; "Why expect the repugs to act any differently now than they've acted in the past?" It's against the repug's nature to be truthful when a lie is so much more effective.......

[xlntcat]

This isn't a new discovery. This is a perpetuation of what came to be known as the Carl Rove playbook. Pathological lying and gangster practices. Face it, it worked through two election cycles. So, a majority of American's are complicit. We fell for it not once, but twice. Also, we need to think long and hard about who pays for a senator's healthcare. It is a lifelong commitment. They have no experince dealing with unethical healthcare providers or mobster insurance companies. It doesn't affect him. I remember a clip from a local TV interview with McCain during which he was asked if he had ever paid for his own healthcare. McCain got huffy and tried to hide behind his time as a prisoner of war, but the truth is that the tax payers have paid for McCain's healthcare for over 70 years and will pay for it for the rest of his life whether he is in or out of office. We pay for congressmen who have been convicted of a felony for the rest of their lives. They have no understanding, no insight and no concern for what is happening to the average American.

[marco01]

"So expect a massive misinformation campaign coming to a health care debate near you."

Also expect a completely flummoxed Dem party completely unable to effectively respond.

[lordmi]

With that Pricipe : "health is a priviledge" GOP knows what to do.
We also should know - NO GOP close to the power for 5 decades.

let us to rebuild the country

[Malarkey]

For the Republicans, this will be an all-out war to stop any kind of healthcare reform. Let's get their whole agenda straight: it's class warfare, pure and simple.

With their corporate backers' interest in mind, the Republicans unleash a barrage of disinformation and lies that undermine the effectiveness of the government's ability to do anything good for the people. They will stop at nothing to prevent true healthcare reform. As long as the American people remain ignorant about healthcare programs that are successful in other countries, they will be easily manipulated.

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

....very true about the general state of mind of "Murkans": As long as an individual is secure in the U.S., he keeps his mind free of the "clutter" of the state of the commonweal. Worst of all: REPUBLICANS have become the definitive party that mouths "Christian" values, including charity, but acts solely in ways that are indicative of social Darwinism.

REPUBLICANS "hate" big government only and because it SOMETIMES acts as an antagonist to social DOMINANCE by those with $$!! REPUBLICANS have not/do not believe in any egalitarian exercise of right not vouchsafed by raw $$!!

[nick1936]

What we need is a choise between a universal health care and private insurance let the people chose which one they prefer. If this happends the private insurance will start to respond to their customers needs not like today where they take your money and refuse you coverage.

[DrVeruju]

http://ni4d.us/

[gfulmore]

This is so important. Many of the people who have what they feel is good health insurance coverage are told to be fearful that it will get worse if there is universal health insurance. Like you are saying, they can KEEP their current coverage. That is not going to be taken away under a national health care system. And it should not get worse as other folks get other options. They should not fear changes that need to come. An example is of my wife, who will soon seek private health insurance, as she is not old enough for Medicare and is no longer employed. Because she has had cancer, private insurers will either not accept her at all or only offer her an expensive, limited plan. If she were to have the option of a government plan, she could buy that. The private companies would not lose business. They really do not have a competing product, and they really do not want her in the first place. The folks who are employed and have their insurance via their company would not get hurt. They should not be affected. All this seems like it will work. I think the folks who have insurance now via their employer -- and the "Business Roundtable" appears to be the lobbying firm representing the 160th largest employers -- need to be reassured that a national health insurance plan will not be a threat to them.

[bgfsh]

We need more than universal health care. We need a private insurance system that is better than the complete sham it is now. Twenty thousand dollars a year for (fairly lousy) health insurance is not right. These costs have gone up FAR faster than any other living expense in the past decade. The people trying to stop reform need to be steam-rolled.

[johngary66]

bgfsh,It costs a lot for Health Insurance companies to pay CEO's $ 58 million a year and stock options of $1.7 billion. Google Dr. William McGuire the former CEO of Untited Health Care. Companies also have to pay for high priced lobbyist and then the politicians that keep them in business. Do some research on where the money really goes with private insurance. The stock holders do very well also. To bad the customers have to have their claims refused after paying outrageous premiums.

[stargazer13]

I am sick right now and with no medical coverage and recently losing my job have no money to pay

worked all my life almost fifty years old

AND I WANT UNIVERSAL HEATH CARE FOR ALL

AND I WANT IT NOW

[SteveDenver]

This is the reason why we need to fight NOW, because it doesn't happen overnight when people need it. I had emergency brain surgery and was in intensive care for 16 days, then a hospital ward for 30. Thank goodness I had a little equity in my condo so the hospital thought they were getting something when they seized it.

Sorry stargazer13, I feel dubious that health care reform will come NOW, no matter how much you WANT it. But if you get educated on the options (Norwegian system VS. Australian system VS. Western European system), tell everyone you know, and develop communications with your legislators, reform will come sooner than later.

[BethA]

About time we join the rest of the modern world in providing true health CARE to our citizens.

This constant scare tactic of...it is socialism, it will cause your doctor to ration your care...blah blah blah...these are ALL lies fed to the people by the INSURANCE industry who provide nothing to your care and in fact ration our care right now.

Ever hear of an HMO? THAT is rationing.
Rationing is what INSURANCE companies do.
They take your premiums and the minute you get sick, they deny and ration your care.

This isn't my opinion, this is my experience as a terminal cancer patient.
I find the insurance companies harder to fight...than fighting my cancer.

Read my profile, I am not the only one who played by the rules, worked hard and did my part only to have the insurance company deny me when it came time to do what I have more than paid them to do.

We need to take out the middlemen that are in the way of patients and doctors in providing quality health care. The middlemen are clear, they are the insurance industry which provides no value and those in Washington who take money from the insurance companies and scare YOU in to forgetting about those good , hard working citizens....now dying in the streets of this country....alone and without care for their health.