"159" List Shows What The GOP Finds Unnecessary About Health Care Reform
Following President Obama's health care summit, the GOP posted on its "conference blog" a list of "159 Ways the Senate Bill Is a Government Takeover of Health Care."
It's pretty ridiculous. The list is made up of issues and programs listed that Americans use and support widely.
Let's review the items in the Senate Democrats' bill that the Republicans think constitute a government takeover of health care and are, therefore, unnecessary.
The GOP believes funding for Medicare and other senior benefits is a government-takeover:
26. Medicare value-based purchasing program
27. Medicare value-based purchasing demonstration program for critical access hospitals
28. Medicare value-based purchasing program for skilled nursing facilities
29. Medicare value-based purchasing program for home health agencies
33. Medicare shared savings program
39. Medicare hospice concurrent care demonstration project
80. Grant program to promote geriatric education centers
81. Grant program to promote health professionals entering geriatrics
Perhaps the opposition to this section shouldn't be surprising, given Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to strip Medicare benefits and services from American seniors. And despite some of their rhetoric, Republicans have historically opposed Medicare and have been trying to slash funding for decades.
Republicans oppose funding for programs that protect America's seniors against abuse:
104. Elder Justice Coordinating Council
105. Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
106. Grant program to create elder abuse forensic centers
110. Grant program to promote adult protective services
111. Grant program to conduct elder abuse detection and prevention
Elder abuse is a tragic phenomenon affecting millions of Americans each year. The Democrats have taken this opportunity to address the problem - but Republicans are worried these seniors might have too much protection.
Additional funding for women's health issues is too close to a "government takeover" for Republicans:
24. Grant program for delivery of services to individuals with postpartum depression
139. Advisory committee for young women's breast health awareness education campaign
140. Grant program to provide assistance to provide information to young women with breast cancer
To Republicans, the health of America's children is nothing
compared to the fear of a government takeover:
59. Grant program to support school-based health centers
64. Demonstration program of grants to improve child immunization rates
The Democratic bill supports the education of doctors and nurses...something the Republicans are afraid would constitute a government takeover:
71. Pediatric specialty loan repayment program
72. Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program
73. Allied Health Loan Forgiveness Program
74. Grant program to provide mid-career training for health professionals
75. Grant program to fund nurse-managed health clinics
76. Grant program to support primary care training programs
77. Grant program to fund training for direct care workers
78. Grant program to develop dental training programs
84. Student loan forgiveness for nursing school faculty
88. Grant program for demonstration projects to address health workforce shortage needs
89. Grant program for demonstration projects to develop training programs for home health aides
90. Grant program to establish new primary care residency programs
92. Graduate nurse education demonstration program
107. Grant program to promote continuing education for long-term care staffers
Making it easier for medical and nursing students to receive a quality education will only ensure that our medical professional workforce is the best in the world. This Republican smear of "government-takeover" quite simply puts the future health of the country at risk.
The Senate bill accounts for the medical needs of Americans who are victims of natural disaster:
124. Pilot program for care of individuals in environmental emergency declaration areas
I have a sneaking suspicion that Republicans will want to make sure the residents of their state will have access to medical care following a flood/hurricane/earthquake. But when all Americans have access to that service, in Republicans' eyes, the government is taking over.
Minority communities suffer greatly from the inadequacies of our health care system. Republicans, however, think efforts to remedy the situation are unnecessary:
128. Centers for Disease Control Office of Minority Health
129. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Minority Health
130. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Minority Health
131. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Minority Health
155. Indian Health Service program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims
156. Indian Health Service program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse
159. Indian Health Service Director of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment
Even programs the Republicans have explicitly supported are on the list:
25. State allotments for grants to promote personal responsibility education programs
134. Grant program to promote small business wellness programs
148. Demonstration program to explore alternatives to tort litigation
That the GOP would stoop to including one of their "common-sense" reforms on this list is beyond unreasonable. Tort reform has been one of the cornerstones of the Republican health care reform platform for months and yet they believe the Democrats' response to litigation is a government takeover.
Absolutely absurd.
