Health care PR Spin from big Business

I came across an interesting editorial in the Dallas Business Journal the other day, on health care, and I thought I would share a bit of it with you. Line by line, I’ll examine the Journals transparent attempt to go on the offensive, framing the issue as a big government intrusion. They rely on the false premise that most of us don’t already find insurance companies intrusive. Editorial writer Tom Clark first tries to diffuse the gravity of the problem:

“Watch out for PR spin in national health care reform discussions.”

Mr. Clark would "never think" of injecting his own PR spin into this serious topic...even though he just did.

“In the health care debate of 2008, phrases like "single-payer health care" and "national health insurance" come up frequently.”

Simply put, they come up frequently because they have been found to be the solution, ask any other industrialized country.

“The health care debate has ignored the most important factor. Government involvement in health care means forcing people and institutions ­-- patients, doctors, hospitals and insurance companies -- to do what they don't want to do.”

Let’s understand what is being said here: patients don’t want government to force them to get well, doctors and hospitals would hate to be pressured into helping sick people and insurance companies would no longer be able to price people out of the market and turn down treatments that would hurt to their bottom line. Brilliant.

“When the government steps in, it does so at the point of a gun. National health insurance will be based on force and coercion. Is that what Americans really want?”

According to all the recent major polling, yes, 60 to 70 percent of the public want a national health care plan. The idea that people would NOT want health care coverage demonstrates how weak the opposition’s position is.

I would like to point out that conservatives were originally the “blame America first” crowd. But like any school yard bully, they said, “I know you are but what am I” first, and the newly branded Democrats whimpered off with their new title. Republicans have blamed Democrats, government, the will of the people, foreigners, the poor, social safety nets and anyone who disagrees with them. By my count, that should cover everyone.

Look, it’s simple to argue against the Republican talking points. Why drag the debate out though, when one question will have them stumbling around for an answer. Ask every one of these great thinkers: When did you drop your government provided-taxpayer funded plan, for your own personal health savings account?

I didn’t think so.