Viewer’s Guide To GOP Ideas At The Health Care Summit

[Wetzelbill]

Viewer’s Guide To GOP Ideas At The Health Care Summit

Today’s Bipartisan Health Care Summit may be the end of the beginning for health care reform. While the President has tried to unite the Democratic party behind a single proposal, Republicans have proudly pronounced that they would not bring new ideas to the table. They’ve promised to reiterate their criticism of the existing Democratic legislation and speak in generalities about how the private market place can lower health care costs and achieve “universal access.”

And while their poll-tested talking points may sound convincing, the GOP solutions actually shift the costs and risks of insurance onto individuals and divides the market into low-cost plans for the healthy and high-cost insurance for the sick. This morning, the Wonk Room is releasing a Viewers Guide to the Bipartisan Health Care Summit. Here is what the GOP will say and why they’re wrong:

GOP CLAIM 1: Tort reform will significantly lower health care spending.

FACT: According to the Congressional Budget Office, malpractice costs are not the main driver of health care spending and the GOP’s prescription of capping non-economic damages has failed to reduce premiums on the state level. Indeed, states that have adopted reward caps have failed to significantly lower health care costs. When Texas capped non economic medical malpractice damages to $250,000 in 2003, most conservatives argued that the reform would free doctors from having to prescribe unnecessary treatment. It didn’t happen. According to the Dartmouth research on disparities in health care spending, many Texan doctors are still prescribing aggressive treatments that don’t improve outcomes and premiums continue to increase. In fact, as of 2006, Texas was still at the top of the list of high-spending states.

GOP CLAIM 2: Selling insurance across state lines will promote competition among insurance companies and lower premiums.

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/02/25/health-summit-guide/

[ellenfl]

1. k&r eom

[Bobbie Jo]

2. Claim 3: "Mystery Shoppers" will reduce Medicaid/Medicare abuses.

Brilliant, no?

[FLyellowdog]

3. Claim #4...providing health care only to those

who can afford it will cut costs drastically. :crazy:

[Kirbster]

4. The Biggest GOP Lie of All

Introductory Remarks --

Lamar Alexander: Mr. President, we want you to succeed. HAH!