Can't Achieve Public Option Without Deception

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Michael F. Cannon, director of health policy studiesmcannon@cato.org:

Nearly every claim that House Democrats make about their bill is a deception.

Broader Medicaid eligibility does not reduce costs; it shifts costs to the poor through paltry access and low-quality care. The bill would not cost $900 billion; it would cost more than $2 trillion. The bill would not reduce the deficit; it would expand the deficit by creating new government health programs, which always cost more than projected. The cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will never happen because Congress will negate them later, just as Congress is currently trying to negate the 'standard growth rate' cuts to Medicare physician payments. Finally, the bill would force taxpayers to fund abortions and would insure undocumented aliens.

Where's a death panel when you need one?

Michael D. Tanner, senior fellowmtanner@cato.org:

Speaker Pelosi is set to unveil a health care bill today including yet another version of the so-called public option. This one would let providers "negotiate" reimbursement rates with the government-run program.

That's the health care equivalent of negotiating with Tony Soprano.

But regardless of how much lipstick they put on this pig, it still is a government takeover of the health care system that would all but eliminate private insurance and force millions of Americans into a government-run system. Apparently the House leadership has decided that if at first you can't get the votes by being honest about your true intentions, lie, lie, again.

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