Sent an email to Matthews tellling him that he was

[ashling]

either being intellectually dishonest or he was just ignorant. Repeating Repub talking point about Rationing under public plan.

After I sent it I changed a few things and sent it as a letter to the editor:

Re: Intellectual Dishonesty about Health Care Rationing

I have had it with Republican talking points about the health care bill; particularly with the scare tactic about rationing. To say that this is intellectually dishonest is an understatement. We already have rationing under our current mish-mash of a "system." It amounts to covert rationing in two ways.

The first is simply those who are unable to afford health insurance. Bringing up two girls I was in and out of this group more than I care to think about. I am not in as good shape as I should be in today, in part because of all of those years not going to the doctor because we needed the money in case one of the girls had to go. Don't get me wrong, I do not begrudge my girls one iota of the care and love we have given them. The point is that there are thousands of families who self ration rather than get the health care they deserve. They work hard every day to care for their families, but they just can't afford the plans their employers provide - if they provide one at all.

And don't think for one minute that the care financed through health insurers is not rationed. Look at the restrictive formularies and riders that come with most plans. One of the times that I did have health insurance, I had a test done as ordered by my doctor, only to have my health insurer decide they wouldn't pay for it. I'm still working on that $6,000 + bill.

Perhaps you got a chance to watch members of the House Subcommiittee on Oversight and Investigations question the CEOs of 3 health insurers, WellPoint Inc., UnitedHealth Group and Assurant Inc. Those companies canceled the coverage of more than 20,000 people during a five year period to avoid paying medical claims. Even Congressman Dr. Michael Burgess, whose general raison d’être seems to be to protect for profit health care, found reason to be concerned. "No one," he said, "can defend, and I certainly cannot defend, the practice of canceling coverage after the fact,"

This goes to another Republican talking point about having a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. In the first place it is just a lie, but I would rather have a bureaucrat administering my claim than an insurance employee who is trained to look only their bottom line and in fact will probably get a bonus if they deny my claim.

Take a stand on either side of the issue, but don't pretend that there is no rationing of health care in these times. It’s happening - and people are dying because of it -every day.

[billyoc]

1. Matthews said that there's rationing now, with the rich buying their way to the front

while the poor die in the back.


Tsk, tsk.

[ashling]

2. I just saw the segment today where he interviewd Dr. Dean

They were talking about the public option and he said that he was worried about rationing.

Anyway, I sent the restructured letter to the editor.

[jaysunb]

3. k&r

n/t

[Cleita]

4. You watch Matthews? He has been intellectually dishonest

and repeating Republican talking points since Clinton was President.

[ashling]

7. I fully realize that

I said he was bein intellectually dishonest, but its not like I was surprised or anything.

[zbdent]

5. Next time a RWer uses the "argument" "Do you really want a bureaucrat deciding if you

can get a procedure?"

Remind them that their hero Bush43 signed into law the fact that an accountant can deny life support based solely on ability to pay ...

[ashling]

8. Good point

I should have used that in the letter.

[Orsino]

6. Matthews is doing what he always does: clowning.

It pays handsomely.

[JerseygirlCT]

9. Nice letter

and good point - at least there's SOME accountability in the government being the middleman. So long as profit is the first priority, care will suffer.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Health care is being rationed now in order for some people having nothing to do with health care to

make money.

For profit "health" insurance corporations = selectivity and denial of coverage = crowded emergency rooms for un and under-insured Americans as treatment of last resort = financial stress to hospitals = higher medical costs = higher premiums = more people not being able to afford "health" insurance = increased profits for shareholders, upper management based on stock price and quarterly earnings, corporate media selling commercials to "health" insurance corporations and bribed political "leaders" willing to sell the American People down the river for blood money = increased demand for money = more selectivity and denial of coverage = continuous self feeding cycle = malignant growth eating away at the nation's health and financial well being.

40+ million uninsured and 50+ million under-insured Americans, that would be a good baseball batting average but it's no way for a government of "we the people" to "promote the general welfare"