Conservative Talking Points views universal health care as the death of this great country. The current debate and possible implementation of such an intrusive government takeover of our heath care industry is both daunting and life changing. The current health care act will destroy our medical system and eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Top Obamacare Problems (Source: Heritage.org – March 2012)
· Poll Reveals 46% of doctors will quit or retire if Obamacare is fully implemented.
· After Obamacare is fully implemented it will add or increase 21 separate taxes.
· Employer mandate forces companies to pay for government specified health insurance or pay a fine (I’m mean a tax..)
· Anti-conscience mandate forces religious organizations to pay for free sterilization, contraceptives and abortion services to their employees against their religious beliefs.
· The Independent Payment Advisory Board (ie. Death Panel).
· $575 billion in Medicare payment cuts.
· Higher health-care costs because hospitals, doctors, businesses, and consumers all expect their taxes and health costs to rise under Obamacare.
· Government control over doctor decisions.
· Huge deficits with the CBO raising its cost estimate for the law to $1.76 trillion over ten years, but will most likely raise to well over $2 trillion.
· 159 new boards, agencies, and programs.
Health Industries Shrinking
· An Indiana-based medical equipment manufacturer (Cook Medical) is cancelling plans to open five new plants because of a looming tax tied to President Obama's health care overhaul law. (Source: Fox News – July 2012)
· Unicare Health Insurance company ceased coverage for Texas and Illinois in late 2009 effecting 360,000 people due to concerns of the public option ramifications in Obamacare. (Source: HealthPlanTexas.com – October 2009)
· The Principal Financial Group Inc. exited the health-insurance business in late 2010 due to Obamacare and dumped over 840,000 subscribers to other remaining companies. (Source: Wall Street Journal – October 2010)
Foreign Healthcare Failures
· Canadians face significant waiting times for various diagnostics such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound scans. The median wait for a CT scan across Canada was 4.3 weeks, but in Prince Edward Island, it's 9 weeks. A Canadian's median wait for an MRI was 10.3 weeks, but in Newfoundland, patients waited 28 weeks. Finally, the median wait for an ultrasound was 3.8 weeks across Canada, but in Manitoba and Prince Edward Island it was 8 weeks. (Source: Fraser Institute - 2006)
· An "unpublished report shows some patients are now having to wait more than eight months for treatment, during which time many of their cancers become incurable." Another story said, "According to a World Health Organisation report to be published later this year, around 10,000 British people die unnecessarily from cancer each year — three times as many as are killed on our roads." (Source: London's Observer - Mar 2002)
· The shortest waiting time was for oncology (4.9 weeks). The longest waiting time was for orthopedic surgery (40.3 weeks), followed by plastic surgery (35.4 weeks) and neurosurgery (31.7 weeks). (Source: Fraser Institute - 2006)
· "Breast cancer kills 46% of its targets in Britain, compared with 25% in the US; prostate cancer kills 57% of the Britons it strikes, compared with 25% of American victims; Britain's heart attack fatality rate was 19.5% higher than America's in 2005" (Source: Pacific Research Institute)
· "The British NHS "does not allow" women under 25 to receive screening for cervical cancer." (Source: Jim DeMint, US Rep. Sen. South Carolina - 2009)
· "In the UK, breast cancer survival rates are 11-14% lower than they are here in the United States" (Source: Sue Myrick - US Rep Sen. North Carolina - 2009)
· "We all agree that the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize" Dr. Anne Doig - President of the Canadian Medical Association (Source: Canadian Press - Aug 2009)
· In Britain, if the proposed medical procedure costs more than $45,000 per "Quality-Adjusted Live Years", then you are denied that medical treatment. (Source: Newt Gingrich, Human Events - Aug 2009)
Foreign Healthcare Statistical Summaries (Source: Business Investors Daily – Jan 2009)
· Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis: USA=65% England=46% Canada=42%
· Percentage of diabetic patients who received treatment within six months: USA=93% England=15% Canada=43%
· Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months: USA=90% England=15% Canada=43%
· Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month: USA=77% England=40% Canada=43%
· Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people: USA=71 England=14 Canada=18
· Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health": USA=12% England=2% Canada=6%
American Socialized Healthcare Failures
· Hawaii became the first state to give free health insurance to all kids in June 2007 called Keiki Care. Originally planned for 3,500 kids it quickly escalated out of control and just after 7 months it was cancelled due to abuse and skyrocketing costs. (Source: Hannity – Fox News)
National Health Care Rationing Proposed
· "If a program would prevent fifty deaths of people who are twenty, should it be treated the same way as a program that would prevent fifty deaths of people who are seventy?" - Dr. Sunstein, Health Care Advisor to President Obama (Source: Columbia Law Review - Jan 2004)
· "Conversely, services provided to individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens are not basic and should not be guaranteed." - Dr. Ezekiel Emanual, Health Care Advisor to President Obama (Source: NY Post - Jul 2009)
· "...other things being equal, a program that protects young people seems far better than one that protects old people, because it delivers greater benefits." - Dr. Sunstein, Health Care Advisor to President Obama (Source: Columbia Law Review - Jan 2004)
· "When implemented, the complete LIVES system produces a priority curve on which individuals aged between roughly 15 and 40 years get the most chance...whereas the youngest and oldest people get chances that are attenuated." - Dr. Ezekiel Emanual, Health Care Advisor to President Obama (Source: NY Post - Jul 2009)
· IMAC (Independent Medicare Advisory Council) are the “Death Panels” Sarah Palin spoke of and they were taken out of the HR3200 language in August of 2009. (Source: Fox News - Jul 2009))
CTP's Health Care Reform
· Tort Reform - Implement "Loser Pays" since plaintiffs don't have any risk and can take a free shot at a doctor. But doctors are winning about 85% of these cases and half of these cases are frivolous. (Source: Inside Tucson Business - Aug 2009)
· Interstate Health Insurance - If individuals in one state could buy health insurance from companies regulated by other states it would create competition that would force premiums down. It would also let individuals decide how much coverage they want. (Source: NPR - Jul 2005)
· Remove State Mandates - Millions of uninsured Americans live in states that impose numerous mandates -- there are about 1,900 mandates nationwide -- and those restrictions make health insurance unaffordable. (Source: Wall Street Journal - Oct 2008)
· Health Savings Accounts - HSAs offer Americans a new coverage option that give them a new choice in coverage configuration, personal control of their health care spending and the path to own their own health care plans. (Source: Heritage Foundation - Apr 2004)
· Removal Of Illegal Alien Health Care Costs - Enforcing our nation's immigration laws would save billions every year since Illegal aliens consume $3.7 Billion annually in Medicare and Medicaid benefits since 40% of illegal aliens are on U.S. Welfare (Federation for American Immigration Reform)