Media Matters Does it Again!

Everytime I read something on media matters, it makes me want to blow my face off with a shotgun. But, now that we are talking about healthcare reform, I realize how expensive that would be...

I saw this article and it just confused me.
http://mediamatters.org/research/200908200002

People actually think this is clearing up concerns that your typical family has regarding rumors that are circulating about Obamacare. I would like to add my two cents. Please realize, like the majority of my writing, this post is RIDDLED with sarcasm, poor grammar, and late night, knee jerk reactions.

CLAIM: The health care system currently works fine, and only a purportedly small number of uninsured people would benefit from reform.

REALITY: Roughly 25 million Americans were underinsured in 2007.

And now the US Government is going to force insurance companies to take on additional risk without making more money. This is good for business. In Dilbertville. So, lets throw the baby out with the bath water.

CLAIM: Progressive health care reform proposals will introduce a system of "rationing" into American medicine.

REALITY: Insurance companies already ration care.

Oh Good! So we won't need to address this in healthcare reform, because it is already being done anyway! Lets move on while you chew on that for a while.

CLAIM: House health care reform bill mandates end-of-life counseling that will pressure seniors to end their lives.

REALITY: Advance care planning is not mandatory in the House health care bill.

Well THANK YOU FOR CLEARING THAT UP (with a scoop of mud)!

CLAIM: Health care reform would establish a "death panel."

REALITY: "Death panel" claims have been conclusively discredited.

By who? Someone who has read the bill? HAHA! That's right, no one has read the bill... :(

Every time I hear a response to this, everyone just spouts off that Insurance companies already HAVE death panels! Well, you know what? At least I still have a decision. If I have the money, and I want someone to remain alive, I can make the decision and it isn't made for me by someone else on capitol hill.

Instead of addressing the actual question, Media Matters paints Sarah Palin as a loon and a fraud.

CLAIM: Under health care reform, you will be denied care, and it will be given to undocumented immigrants instead.

REALITY: House bill stipulates that those "not lawfully present" may not receive subsidies to purchase insurance.

Left out of this sentence: "But if we catch any hospital not giving effective, immediate care to someone (anyone) who we deem needs it, they will be arrested and sued for denying them a basic human right."

CLAIM: Health care reform would be funded by broad-based tax increases.

REALITY: The surtax in House bill applies only to income exceeding $350,000 per year for joint filers.

Oh good. We aren't really taxing people. Only "rich" people. They are so rich, they don't even deserve to be called people, really. Besides, we are only taxing the people who might insure themselves anyway, right? So those 'people' who create jobs for others (aka BASTARDS) will only be taxed SLIGHTLY. And its not really a tax. Its a surtax. Like when I call up Sur Elton John on the telephone. I call him 'Sur' out of respect. Its a 'respect' tax.

CLAIM: The House Democrats' bill will raise income taxes on small businesses.

REALITY: Ways and Means committee stated that according to JCT, only 4.1 percent of small-business owners would be affected by surtax.

AND

CLAIM: House Democrats' bill would subject all small businesses to an 8 percent payroll tax as a penalty for not providing insurance to employees.

REALITY: Companies with annual payrolls of less than $250,000 would pay no penalty under the House bill.

You idiots REALLY think the government is going to tax EVERYONE, don't you?! We are only introducing a 'sur' tax (again with the sur's) on a HANDFUL of small businesses. We will make sure its not the ones that YOU know of. They will be businesses that do stuff like feed living kittens to angry carnivores. Or businesses that put kitty litter into people's transmissions. Or those damn businesses that are successful! Man, we liberals HATE, HATE, HATE success! And wealth! And we hate wealthy people who make other people wealthy! Just like the above statement, these businesses aren't really 'businesses' anyway. So, in effect, we aren't raising taxes on ANY 'businesses.'

CLAIM: Health care reform "would add around $1 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years."

REALITY: CBO found that House bill would increase the federal budget deficit by $239 billion over 10 years -- not $1 trillion.

Oh. Only $239 billion?! Wow. I thought it was more like (pauses while counting on fingers)... Like. I don't know. MORE than that. We are only going in debt $239 billion for this?! Sign me up! Anytime we can watch $239 billion get flushed down a toilet. I'm all for it. I would also like front row seats!

CLAIM: House health care reform bill would "outlaw individual private coverage."

REALITY: The bill does not "outlaw" private individual insurance.

Thank you for completely alleviating my fears by saying the exact opposite of what I just said. OK, fine. You are right. Lets read the fine print, shall we? This should clear things up nicely!

"The provision to which the IBD editorial referred establishes the conditions under which existing private plans would be exempted from the requirement that they participate in the Health Insurance Exchange. Individual private health insurance plans that do not meet the "grandfather" conditions would still be available for purchase, but only through the exchange and subject to those regulations."

Oh. So I can keep my current plan. But if I need to change for some reason (say my wife gets pregnant, we have a kid, or we require less coverage) I just can't go back to my old plan after I change. They aren't 'outlawing' anything. It just won't be 'available'. Psh. 'Outlawed' You idiots...

CLAIM: Obama "admitted" that he has not read the House health care reform bill.

REALITY: Obama actually said he was "not familiar" with opponents' false talking point that bill would ban private individual insurance.

So what they meant to say is that Obama's teleprompter hadn't read the bill. You know what. I am going to admit that I am not familiar with how to raise children. There. Now I have a blanket confession for anything bad I have done, am doing, and will do to my children in regards to childcare.

CLAIM: The co-op "compromise" eliminates the need for the public option.

REALITY: Progressive experts argue public plan is necessary for successful reform.

Oh. The progressives? The progressive 'experts' believe it is necessary? Are these the same progressives that brought us prohibition? Are these the same progressives that introduced the Czars? Wait, are these the same progressives that Hilary Clinton ties herself up with? I like progress. It sure sounds nice. Unless you remember history...

CLAIM: Obama is pushing a single-payer system like Canada's or a nationalized health care system like the United Kingdom's.

REALITY: Obama has rejected Canadian-style single-payer system and U.K.-style nationalized health care.

Oh. So this wasn't Obama? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE
No seriously. I don't know and I don't want to be deemed a racist by suggesting that it just 'looks and sounds' like him.

CLAIM: Health care reform proposals are socialist and will lead to socialized medicine.

REALITY: Conservatives have trotted out "socialized medicine" smear for 75 years -- and it's never been true.

Its just a 'smear', people. Much like the Shmear at Einstein Brother's Bagels, only with lower fat and cholesterol - but MUCH less taste. Wait, this is more of someone saying exactly opposite of what I said. Let's dig deeper, shall we?

"as the Urban Institute wrote in an April 2008 analysis, "socialized medicine involves government financing and direct provision of health care services," and therefore, recent progressive health-care reform proposals do not "fit this description.""

Ooohhhhh... Wait, so the government isn't funding a provision for healthcare reform? Thats funny, cuz above it says that we are only going a quarter TRILLION into debt for something. What was it? No seriously, I don't want to type it again.

CLAIM: Betsy McCaughey is a credible health care expert.

REALITY: Betsy McCaughey is a serial misinformer who has perpetuated numerous falsehoods about health care reform.

Who?

CLAIM: Rick Scott is a credible health care expert.

REALITY: Rick Scott was chairman of a scandal-plagued hospital firm.

Oh, that's bad, right? (turns to neighbor) Who?

CLAIM: Newt Gingrich is a credible health care expert.

REALITY: Newt Gingrich has a financial stake in opposing Democrats' reform proposals.

Psh. Newt. What a... Newt. Democrats NEVER have a financial stake in ANY of their provisions. Right, Al Gore?

CLAIM: Medicare has failed, and so the government can't be trusted to "run health care."

REALITY: Medicare costs have risen more slowly than private insurance.

Oh! So it HASN'T failed because its costs have risen more slowly? Hmm. I thought it had failed because it didn't have a good method of identifying fraud, was adding a bigger burden to doctors and pharmacies who were involved with it, and took too long to decide whether or not someone could be covered. I didn't realize that the cost was the determining factor.