The myths and facts about health care reform

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With the health care debate raging and heating up all across the nation, there are a lot of myths going around about health care reform. The lack of an actual bill that the President can sell to the American people, leaves open a lot of holes about health care reform. Those holes are being filled by opponents myths and lies about what health care reform will mean.

All we seem to hear about are death panels, government take over of the health care system, health insurance for illegal immigrants, tax payer funded abortions and when treatment will stop for old people.

But these are all myths and half truths that opponents have been circulating to try and kill the reform. Just like they did when Bill and Hilary Clinton tried to reform health care back in the 1990's. So here is a look at the myths and the facts about health care reform.

MYTH: Death panels and government stopping care for the elderly.

FACT: There is absolutely nothing in any of the current bills being debated that would give the government the authority to so. Opponents have completely twisted a provision in one of the House bills. The provision would have Medicare pay for counseling sessions about end-of-life care, living wills and hospices if the patient wants the counseling with their doctor. They have said that these sessions would be forced upon the elderly but that is simply not true.

House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio said of the counseling "may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia."

The bill would prohibit coverage of counseling that presents suicide or assisted suicide as an option.

Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, who added this provision into the bill and has been a big proponent of end-of-life counseling under Medicare. He said the sessions are completely voluntary, strictly between doctor and patient and that is was "nuts" to think death panels are looming or euthanasia is part of it.

MYTH: The bill will give coverage to illegal immigrants.

FACT: None of the proposals being debated would give coverage to illegal immigrants.

MYTH: Health care reform will lead to a government takeover of the health care system.

FACT: The President is not proposing a single-payer system in which the government covers everyone. This is the type of system that Canada and some European countries have. He has said that it is not the right direction for the U.S. None of the proposals contain this single-payer type system.

What is proposed is a health care "exchange" or "marketplace". In an exchange a government plan would be just one option consumers can choose from. It would be for people who aren't covered by their job or those who's employer based insurance is too expensive. It would offer both the public option, as well as a variety of private ones. All of the plans offered would be required to provide certain basic benefits to consumers.

That is in no way a government takeover of the health care system. People throw around the term government-run health care, well what do you think Medicare and Medicade are? Obama has repeatedly told people if they are happy with the plan they have now, then they can keep it. However that is not entirely accurate either. Due too tax provisions it might end up being cheaper for some employers to pay a fee to end their health coverage. Which would send some people into the public option with different doctors and benefits.

But it is not clear whether Obama is still fully committed to the public option. He recently said that it was "just one sliver" of health care reform.

MYTH: Tax payer money will be used to fund abortions.

FACT: The version of the bill in the House would allow for abortion coverage. However the bill says a beneficiary's own money-not taxpayer money- must be used to pay for the abortion. The manner in which it would be enforced has not yet been decided.

Obama has said that the United States should continue it's tradition of "not financing abortions as part of government-funded health care." Current laws prohibiting public financing of abortion would remain on the books.

Yet abortion guidelines are not yet clear for the government-supervised insurance exchange. There is strong sentiment in Congress on both sides of the issue.

Well there you have it, the most common myths about health care reform and the actual facts about reform.

As all ways if you have a comment please post it or e-mail it to me directly, I love to hear from all of you.

For more information contact: Ruben Christopher, e-mail: ruben.christopher@ymail.com