Health Care Reform facts

Here is a growing list of resources for factual information and informed, civil dialogue. Be sure to see older posts below this one.

• (Added 8/16/2009)
  
  Diane Rehm has a very civilized and informative program on NPR every day -- 91.7 FM in the Detroit area. Tomorrow's program is described here -- http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/08/17.php#24726. If you can't listen when the show is live, after the show is over there will be a link to listen to the recording. Also, her show is available as a free iTunes podcast that you can subscribe to in the iTunes store.
  
  
  I hold her program in high regard because she works hard to balance discussions and get the facts on the table. She specifically does not permit ad hominem attacks, shouting, heckling, and such.
  
  
• (Added 8/16/2009) British like their health care and tell U.S. Republicans to stop lying: http://digg.com/political_opinion/British_like_their_healthcare_don_t_care_what_you_think?OTC-widget
  
• (Added 8/16/2009) LA arena is site for health care of last resort for thousands of poor and needy, with doctors from a program that serve Third World Countries - http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE57C0PE20090813?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
• Radio discussion on Diane Rehm Show -- Debate over health care proposals -- http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/08/11.php#26709 - also available as a free podcast download from iTunes by the end of the day.
  
• Statements on Health at Politifact -- http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/subjects/health/
• Reality Check by the White House -- http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/
• Eyes On Obama: Health Care Reform Link Compendium -- http://www.eyesonobama.com/blog/content/id_57746/title_Health-Care-Reform-Link-Compendium/
• Religious groups and ministers on Obama's side in Health Care Reform -- http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE57947020090810?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
• Does Canada's Health Care Need Fixing? (Investigative report on NPR) -- http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=111721651&m=111721665
• Obama's own words on reform -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/08/obama-uses-jobs-report-to_n_254563.html
• What's Behind the Opposition to Health Care Reform? -- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09rich.html?_r=1
• (Added 8/12/2009) Far-right religious group behind outrageous health care lies -- http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/11/765163/-Far-right-religious-group-behind-outrageous-health-care-lies
• (Added 8/13/2009) Stephen Hawking likes his British health care, contrary to GOP propaganda -- http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/erica/2009/08/stephen-hawking-likes-his-deat.php?ref=recdc
• (Added 8/16/2009) According to this article in the news August 13 -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/internal-memo-confirms-bi_n_258285.html, the White House may or may not have made a deal with the pharmaceutical companies such that the Health Reform Bill would not force a reduction in pharmaceutical prices as much as possible, in return for a promise from pharmaceutical companies that they would voluntarily lower prices for $80 billion in savings over the coming years. I am not sure why this is news today because I remember it being announced the day the they promised to lower prices by $80 billion many weeks ago (the headline on this page is a typo, it should say billion - http://seniorliving.about.com/b/2009/06/22/drug-companies-to-reduce-prescription-drug-discounts-by-80-million-in-10-years.htm).
  
  Nevertheless, there is now a copy of a memo floating around summarizing the alleged deal, which may or may not be authentic. What's more, it appears of no consequence because various people in Congress said they were not party to any such deal and were not bound by it, and they have already included provisions in the bill that contradict what the White House allegedly promised. However, perhaps this is the start of some new controversy you will want to be aware of, which may be yet another diversion from the facts.
• (Added 8/13/2009) Looking for the text of the Health Care Reform bill in Congress so you can read it for yourself and see for yourself how true all the claims are?
  
  One place is here -- http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text?goto_comment=115255&nid=t0%3Aih%3A5&version=ih On this site, you can hover your mouse over each sentence and add a comment or read the comments posted by others. This site promises to stay up to date as the Bill moves forward and gets modified.
  
  Other locations are:
  
• http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200
• http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?granuleId=&packageId=BILLS-111hr3200IH
• http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1687:health-care-reform&catid=156:reports&Itemid=55
• http://edlabor.house.gov/markups/2009/07/hr-3200-americas-affordable-he.shtml

Below is a letter i wrote in reply to a flood of email containing falsehoods about health care reform, which serves as my guiding principle for providing the above information:
________________________________

People:

Here is a link that shows the majority of people in a variety of surveys want single payer health care. This is not being offered in the current legislation, but the [email to which I was responding] seems to imply that it is. http://www.wpasinglepayer.org/PollResults.html

And here is a list of nations that have some form of universal health care that is successful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care

Here is what doctors say about single-payer universal health care:

http://cthealth.server101.com/the_case_for_universal_health_care_in_the_united_states.htm

And I recently sent a message containing what a prominent evangelical minister says about health care.

My question is:

If we have evidence that universal health care is what the majority of citizens want and need, and...

If we have evidence that it can and does work very well for at least 28 other modern nations that we compete with, and ...

If we have testimony from doctors that health care is better when it is universal single-payer, and...

If we have statements from religious leaders that it is our moral duty to ensure that all among us, even the poorest of the poor, have the care they need, without regard to their ability to pay...

Then why is there so much talk saying health care reform -- particularly universal coverage -- can't work and shouldn't be adopted? Why so much attention given to fear mongers, and to people trying to prevent civil information meetings, shouting and ranting to disrupt all orderly conversation and exchange of information?

As concerned Christians and thinking individuals, should we not be the light in the darkness? Should we not be the people who show leadership to say, "Come, let us calmly and rationally look at the facts and discuss them, to arrive at what is best for the common good"?

Why not let's discuss the points the President makes? -- http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0742097620090808?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews or the points Jim Wallis makes in the message I sent the other day?

If anything, rather than suggesting health care reform as currently proposed goes too far, many people are concerned it does not go far enough because it does not include single-payer universal coverage.

At the very least, I suggest we should see it as our duty to look objectively at the facts and spread truth. We, of all people, have a responsibility to be careful to avoid passing on false statements or those intended to spread fear. And we should be supportive of appropriate and needed change when the facts, rather than emotions, show they are needed and are in our best interest.

What are your thoughts?

Respectfully,

Jon Stewart rips town hall crazies

No organized helpful facts in this post like the list I posted yesterday, but a lot of good points made through humor in two video clips on this page -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/11/jon-stewart-vs-town-hall_n_256272.html

Resources for Facts vs. Myths, Distortions, and Outright Lies about Health Care Reform

Here is a growing list of resources for factual information and informed, civil dialogue.

• Radio discussion on Diane Rehm Show -- Debate over health care proposals -- http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/08/11.php#26709 - also available as a free podcast download from iTunes by the end of the day.
  
• Statements on Health at Politifact -- http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/subjects/health/
• Reality Check by the White House -- http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/
• Eyes On Obama: Health Care Reform Link Compendium -- http://www.eyesonobama.com/blog/content/id_57746/title_Health-Care-Reform-Link-Compendium/
• Religious groups and ministers on Obama's side in Health Care Reform -- http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE57947020090810?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
• Does Canada's Health Care Need Fixing? (Investigative report on NPR) -- http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=111721651&m=111721665
• Obama's own words on reform -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/08/obama-uses-jobs-report-to_n_254563.html
• What's Behind the Opposition to Health Care Reform? -- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09rich.html?_r=1
• (Added 8/12/2009) Far-right religious group behind outrageous health care lies -- http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/11/765163/-Far-right-religious-group-behind-outrageous-health-care-lies
• (Added 8/13/2009) Stephen Hawking likes his British health care, contrary to GOP propaganda -- http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/erica/2009/08/stephen-hawking-likes-his-deat.php?ref=recdc
  

Below is a letter i wrote in reply to a flood of email containing falsehoods about health care reform, which serves as my guiding principle for providing the above information:
________________________________

People:

Here is a link that shows the majority of people in a variety of surveys want single payer health care. This is not being offered in the current legislation, but the [email to which I was responding] seems to imply that it is. http://www.wpasinglepayer.org/PollResults.html

And here is a list of nations that have some form of universal health care that is successful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care

Here is what doctors say about single-payer universal health care:

http://cthealth.server101.com/the_case_for_universal_health_care_in_the_united_states.htm

And I recently sent a message containing what a prominent evangelical minister says about health care.

My question is:

If we have evidence that universal health care is what the majority of citizens want and need, and...

If we have evidence that it can and does work very well for at least 28 other modern nations that we compete with, and ...

If we have testimony from doctors that health care is better when it is universal single-payer, and...

If we have statements from religious leaders that it is our moral duty to ensure that all among us, even the poorest of the poor, have the care they need, without regard to their ability to pay...

Then why is there so much talk saying health care reform -- particularly universal coverage -- can't work and shouldn't be adopted? Why so much attention given to fear mongers, and to people trying to prevent civil information meetings, shouting and ranting to disrupt all orderly conversation and exchange of information?

As concerned Christians and thinking individuals, should we not be the light in the darkness? Should we not be the people who show leadership to say, "Come, let us calmly and rationally look at the facts and discuss them, to arrive at what is best for the common good"?

Why not let's discuss the points the President makes? -- http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0742097620090808?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews or the points Jim Wallis makes in the message I sent the other day?

If anything, rather than suggesting health care reform as currently proposed goes too far, many people are concerned it does not go far enough because it does not include single-payer universal coverage.

At the very least, I suggest we should see it as our duty to look objectively at the facts and spread truth. We, of all people, have a responsibility to be careful to avoid passing on false statements or those intended to spread fear. And we should be supportive of appropriate and needed change when the facts, rather than emotions, show they are needed and are in our best interest.

What are your thoughts?

Respectfully,

Evangelical Minster to Palin: Stop Embarassing Christians with evil behavior

Below is a reprint of an article by Jim Wallis on his blog -- http://blog.sojo.net/2009/08/11/palin-bad-for-dialogue/

Palin Bad for Dialogue

by Jim Wallis 08-11-2009

Last Thursday, I wrote about truth-telling and responsibility in the debate over health care, urging an honest and fair debate with good information, not sabotage of reform with half-truths and misinformation.

On Friday, I read a statement from Sarah Palin, first on her Facebook page, then reported by the media:

The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society,’ whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

I thought I had heard it all, but I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The statement is a new low for our political discourse.

Sarah, you’re the one who is acting in an “evil” way. After listening to your policy pronouncements during the campaign, many Americans decided, generously, that you weren’t ready yet for high political office. Others thought you just weren’t very smart. But this statement last week really does clear up the question for me. You are speaking like a demagogue in the worst tradition of those who knowingly distort and deceive, for their own political purposes. You want to stoke people’s worst fears and then, hopefully, they will look to someone like you to be their leader. You’re not stupid after all. You know that neither President Obama, nor anyone else in this health-care debate, would deny health care for your parents or child, and that none of the ideas being debated would suggest that. But people are confused and concerned, so you see your chance to prey upon their misunderstandings. Politics for people like you is really all about you, your fame and power, and your taste of it during the last election has revealed what kind of politician you truly are.

Please don’t invoke your “Christian faith” anymore and embarrass the people of God even further. May your efforts to scare Americans during this important debate fail. May your political future also fail, and may your star fall as fast as it rose just a few months ago — because we now know who you really are.

Jim Wallis is CEO of Sojourners.

To learn more about health-care reform, click here to visit Sojourners’ Health-Care Resources Web page.