Republican Congressional candidate: Healthcare is costly because "People now don't die from cancer"

[TheWraith]

Via DailyKos elections roundup.

The healthcare reforms Collins said he would push would be tort reform and open up competition in insurance by allowing policies across state lines.

Collins also argued that modern healthcare is expensive for a reason.

"People now don't die from prostate cancer, breast cancer and some of the other things," Collins said. "The fact of the matter is, our healthcare today is so much better, we're living so much longer, because of innovations in drug development, surgical procedures, stents, implantable cardiac defibrillators, neural stimulators—they didn't exist 10 years ago. The increase in cost is not because doctors are making a lot more money. It's what you can get for healthcare, extending your life and curing diseases."

As Brown points out, prostate cancer kills almost 30,000 men a year (PDF) in the United States, while breast cancer kills nearly 40,000 women each year (PDF). I am absolutely dumbfounded, and I hope Hochul hammers Collins to pieces on this. I am troubled by one thing, though, which is that this quote originally appeared over a week ago, yet neither the Hochul campaign nor the DCCC seems to have picked up on it. Fortunately, there's still time to remedy that oversight.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/03/1105597/-Daily-Kos-Elections-Live-Digest-7-3

Also on ThinkProgress.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/07/03/510542/chris-collins-die-cancer/

[cindyperry2010]

1. wow

that one is dumb

[cindyperry2010]

2. the congressional candidate not you

sorry

[TheWraith]

3. I figured that was what you meant. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

4. That's news to my mother . . . . .

Chris Collins will have to battle cancer personally to fully understand what an assinine thing that was to say.

[TheWraith]

5. This is now going viral. Huffington Post has picked it up. nt

[tanyev]

6. Oh, that's why we need the death panels.

[madrchsod]

7. he really needs to think before he speaks

although some of what he said is true he still is stuck in republican reverse.

maybe i`m being optimistic that republicans understand the world around them

[DearAbby]

8. Full blown panic...I tell ya.

They thought they had this in the bag...remember that swagger they had previous to the ruling? They were fed information the Court would strike this down...they don't have a CYA Back up plan.

They are flailing all over the place. Almost comical if it wasn't for our deadbeat media...I mean if I can figure this out...COME ON.

[marmar]

9. I suppose that if you're that dumb, you don't realize that you're that dumb.

[DearAbby]

10. Fear is all they have...n/t

[sakabatou]

11. Where's my clue-by-four?