Conservative Health Reform Myths

Conservative Health Reform Myths

Before President-elect Obama can institute his health care reform agenda, Congress must address some unfinished business from the Bush era. On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will consider the State Children’s Health Insurance Program [SCHIP] reauthorization measure.

In 2007, despite broad bipartisan support and the urging of governors, President Bush vetoed two bills that would have extended health care coverage to some 10 million children. Congress aims to fix that problem. The new legislation “ will become law in the fairly near term,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, predicting that Congress will pass the measure despite conservative opposition. In fact, Obama has already begun working with Congress to develop affordable health care reforms. His stimulus package for instance, includes more federal funds for Medicaid, subsidies to help “recently laid-off workers pay to retain their health insurance through COBRA,” and a provision “that would seek to computerize all medical records within five years.”

While progressives are working to build bipartisan support for these measures, some conservatives have started laying the groundwork for a misinformation campaign to undermine long-term health care reform. Since Obama’s election victory in November, conservative politicians and pundits have been actively filling the nation’s leading newspapers with editorials misrepresenting the consequences and implications of expanding access to affordable health care coverage for all Americans.

The right-wings most widely circulated myths about reform are:

Myth-health care reform will limit patient choice

Myth- government will have a monopoly and drive up costs

Myth-deregulating the health industry will solve the crisis

Source: The Progress Report, Jan. 12, 2009