The Brits are Sick of our Bashing the NHS on Health Care

Sarah Palin on Hannity still continuing to defend her bogus "Death Panel" Claims.

Hannity: You say (Death Panels) still exist in the Bill?

Palin: I do because it's a commission, it's a bureaucracy who will ration care if the Bill goes through. It's modeled, in essence, on a British system that does have people to decide, based on your quality of life, your age, if you deserve health care coverage or not

The reason people pay attention to Palin is generally because they can't believe the NUTBAG BULLSHIT that comes out of her mouth most of the time.

After her claim that the End of Life Consultation Re-embursement was a Death Panel was thoroughly Debuked (beside the fact that is already part of Medicare) Palin has moved on to claiming that he Medicare Advisory Board which suggests best practices is some type of Secret Rationing Panel - except for, y'know, THE FACTS according to the CBO.

Senate bill: Advisory Board proposals "shall not include any recommendation to ration health care ... or otherwise restrict benefits." From Section 3403 of the Senate health care bill,

"Independent Medicare Advisory Board":

The legislation also would establish an Independent Payment Advisory Board, which would be required, under certain circumstances, to recommend changes to the Medicare program to limit the rate of growth in that program's spending. Those recommendations would go into effect automatically unless blocked by subsequent legislative action. Such recommendations would be required if the Chief Actuary for the Medicare program projected that the program's spending per beneficiary [in fiscal years 2015-2019] would grow more rapidly than a measure of inflation (the average of the growth rates of the consumer price index for medical services and the overall index for all urban consumers). The provision would place a number of limitations on the actions available to the board, including a prohibition against modifying eligibility or benefits, so its recommendations probably would focus on:

* Reductions in subsidies for non-Medicare benefits offered by MedicareAdvantage plans; and

* Changes to payment rates or methodologies for services furnished in the fee-for-servicesector by providers other than hospitals, physicians, hospices, andsuppliers of durable medical equipment that is offered through competitive bidding.

In short the legislation says exactly the opposite of what Palin and other Right-wingers such as Dick Morris says it does.

And the constant connection to the British Health System (NHS) for this is causing a bit of a Ballyhoo!


From Politics UK

If you've been paying any attention to the debate on President Obama's healthcare reform on the other side of the Atlantic, you'll know what I mean. Personally, it only came across my radar once American right wingers started mocking the NHS.

Watching these debates is like reading National Geographic. It's just impossible, from a European perspective, to understand what these people are on about. Their political views seem as backwards and removed from the world we live in as a shaman casting magic spells.

The angry opponents of Obama's reforms would do well to actually have a debate, rather than spew out foolish lies. The death panel accusation is not politics. It is just a lie. That's all it is. It has no place in political discourse. It's not even worthy of childhood discourse. It should be considered outside of acceptable debate, like racism or physical violence. That right-wing pundits and insurance companies are free to promote this nonsense is a damning indictment on the entire system. Personally, I'd be fairly indifferent, and wouldn't deign to comment on another country's way of doing things, were it not for the fact that they're now telling lies about the NHS, and that is intolerable.

According to the World Health Organization the UK Ranks at number 18 in Healthcare outcomes - while the U.S Ranks at Number 37. Their positoin is TWICE AS GOOD as ours, In overall Life Expectancy they are at #14 while we are at #24. England also has a lower infant mortality rate than the U.S. (4.85 per 1000 births to 6.26). In contrast our Health Expenditures as a percent of GDP is second at 15.4% (behind only the Marshall Islands) while the United Kingdom is in 41st Place at 8.2% of GDP.

We're getting half the results at twice the price as England. NO ONE in this country, particularly someone who advocates for the Status Quo, has standing to criticize the British Health Care System in comparison to ours.

NO ONE.

Vyan