Today, I received a YouTube clip, forwarded to me from a Friend. My friend is Bob Friend, a good guy; a retired small business owner, who now volunteers his time a couple times a week educating kids in science. The clip is of Georgia Senator Tom Price, a Republican, as he voices his concerns with healthcare reform. His emotions run high, and his rhetoric is powerful. Here’s the clip, then let’s think about what he’s saying.
“The members on this side of the isle have been attempting to work productively, positively on this issue.”
The very use of such weighted language, hyperbole, “takeover,” “death panels,” is neither productive, positive, or realistic. This country does things very differently than the rest of the world, and we can discuss the pros and cons, but the implication that we’re going to create some sort of drastic, apocalyptic changes to the healthcare system does nothing to further the debate and only muddies the waters and heightens the anger of the vocal fringes who won’t accept any kind of compromise.
“I care for patients who bristle at the idea that the federal government should be involved in their healthcare.”
Medicare, despite all of its flaws, is an established and needed program where the federal government is involved in healthcare. I don’t hear protesters calling for the dismantling of Medicare. And, from personal experience, I know that the loss of my grandmother not long ago would’ve been far more painful for everyone if not for this type of government-supported safety-net.
“A trillion dollar plus bill.”
This is a common scare-tactic. We’re talking a trillion dollars over a 10-year period, which works out to less than 1% of the GDP over that time. This, to me, seems like a worthwhile investment, and that price tag also does not take into account the serious savings that we could achieve by reforming the system.
“It kills jobs. It will destroy, DESTROY healthcare as we know it.”
What will kill jobs is a US that leaves business alone to shoulder the constantly rising costs of healthcare when the rest of the world lets business off the hook. That lack of competitiveness has already strangled our auto industry, and threatens all major US industry as health costs continue to skyrocket.
That “Grand-Scheme Chart” Price holds up with “the government between you and your doctor” drafted by the GOP is another scare-tactic. The system we have now is ridiculously convoluted as is, and we are the only industrialized nation where people routinely go bankrupt due to healthcare costs.
“Remove from them and their families the opportunities to make the most personal healthcare decisions.”
Do families really get the opportunity to make the most personal healthcare decisions now, with denied claims and in-network-only coverage?
There are good ideas and bad ideas when it comes to healthcare reform, but reform is needed. Knee jerk reactions and theatrical resistance will get us nowhere!
