Health Reform Opponents Circulate Smear E-mail

By Joel Wendland
http://politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/8874/

An unidentified person (or persons), who sources say is linked to the Republican Party affiliated and insurance lobby funded Conservatives for Patients Rights, has circulated an e-mail containing a number of erroneous and misleading claims about the health reform bills in Congress. According to the e-mail, health reform would allow the government to do everything from making decisions for you about medical care to accessing your private bank account and giving taxpayer money away to ACORN, illegal immigrants and labor unions.

The error-laden e-mail claims to identify specific page numbers in the House health reform bill that mandates these provisions. For example, the e-mail cites "Page 29" as admitting that "your health care will be rationed." According to the actual text of the bill, however, page 29 defines a minimum standard for health benefits packages and in no way rations care.

Another part of the e-mail claims "Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)." Again, page 30 actually defines minimum standards for insurance plans and says nothing about limiting or denying benefits or treatments.

The pro-insurance company e-mail continues in the same vein: "Page 42: The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None." And again, this page of the bill defines minimum standards and does not give any government official authority over medical decisions or benefits.

But the author of the e-mail doesn't confine him or herself to confusing readers about the issue of minimum standards. It goes on to claim that health reform is little more than a funnel for taxpayer dollars to labor unions, ACORN and "illegal aliens."

In fact, in one of several mentions of "illegal aliens" the e-mail claims they will get free health care services, according to page 50 of the bill. But, in fact, page 50 and 51, while outlawing discrimination, forbids use of federal dollars to provide health care to undocumented immigrants. (Many critics of this provisions point out that denying wellness and preventative care to undocumented immigrants poses a serious challenge to maintaining quality public health.)

The repeated reference to undocumented immigrants is clearly more an attempt to foster anti-immigrant sentiments and confuse the truth about the bill than anything else.

This one may even be scarier. "Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer." The truth, however, is that the bill provides no means for this and only authorizes electronic transfers of money within the government.

In a further deviation down the path of right-wing delusion, the e-mail insists repeatedly that the right-wing bogeyman ACORN will get gobs of cash from the health reform bill. The following are direct quotes from the e-mail:

• "Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)" 
• "Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan." 
• "Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on 'community' input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN."
• "Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN." 
• "Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN."

Of course, the bill never mentions ACORN, and since ACORN is not a community health center or a medical care organization, it will receive no money from the government or any other entity for health-related activities.

In a direct attack on doctors, the e-mail claims: "Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages." The reference to the AMA selling out is to the fact that the American Medical Association, along with other major doctors' associations like the half a million members of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Student Association, Doctors for America and the National Physicians Alliance, have endorsed the health reform measures in Congress.

To be clear, page 127 of the House health bill gives the government authority to negotiate rates of reimbursement as part of a larger plan to bring the cost of care and the cost of insurance premiums down. Private insurers will retain their own authority to set their own rates.

In its own e-mail countering the distortions and fabrications contained in the right-wing smear campaign, Healthcare for America Now (HCAN) encourages people to read the bill for themselves at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text. HCAN activists are planning local meetings, town halls and other events across the country in the month of August in support of health reform.