Rep. Blunt's Tired Blog
On May 14, 2009, Rep. Roy Blunt blogged about the ongoing health care reform discussions between the White House, Congressional leaders, and policy wonks. His post, however, is merely a compilation of tired GOP talking points.
Why The Same Overused Argument About Government Control?
Rep. Blunt: "House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee are reportedly meeting behind closed doors to draft legislation that will unnecessarily lead to a rationing of care for American families and limit the advancement of life-saving treatments. A government-run system would do just that by placing bureaucrats between doctors and patients to prescribe treatments based on costs, not medical knowledge." [Rep. Roy Blunt blog via GOP.com, 5/14/09]
Government Involvement In Health Care Is Beneficial...
Council "Will Not Recommend Clinical Guidelines." The published guidelines for the Council are very clear about the decisions its members will make: The Federal Coordinating Council For Comparative Effectiveness Research "will not recommend clinical guidelines for payment, coverage or treatment." [HHS.gov, 3/19/09]
CER Supplements Physicians' Knowledge To Ensure The Best Treatment Is Provided To The Patient. David Dale, MD of the American College of Physicians, testified in a House Ways and Means Committee hearing: "The availability of valid, comparative effectiveness data supplemented by the physician's clinical experience and professional knowledge, helps ensure that an effective treatment choice is made-one that meets the unique needs and preferences of the patient." [American College Of Physicians' Statement for the Record, 6/12/07]
...Because Private Companies Can't Be Objective
Conducting Research Trials Is Not Always Financially Beneficial For Private Companies. According to a December 2007 report released by the Congressional Budget Office titled Research on the Comparative Effectiveness of Medical Treatments: "For drug manufacturers, the costs of conducting additional trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy for a broader set of patients or conditions may outweigh the benefits from the increased sales that would result; in particular, the potential gains from finding a favorable result for a different population would have to be weighed against the risk that safety and efficacy could not be demonstrated conclusively." [CBO.gov, 12/07]
- Big Business Fears CER Because Less Profitable Generic Drugs May Prove Just As Effective As Costly Name Brands. Bloomberg reported, "U.S. drugmakers are working to ensure that President Barack Obama's move to encourage cheaper medical care doesn't end up dictating treatments to doctors and insurers... 'The companies fear that older generic drugs might very well turn out to be better than the newer advertised drugs, which bring in much more of a profit,' said Julian Zelizer, a history and public affairs professor at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey." [Bloomberg, 4/17/09]
Can You Say "Out Of Touch?"
Rep. Blunt: "Health care in America is too expensive and patients' choices are too limited. We agree that reform is needed, but Democrats have failed to answer the most basic question of how they want to pay for the more than one trillion dollars of health care spending they're advocating. Even more disturbing than the lack of details is their insistence on a government-controlled system." [Rep. Roy Blunt blog via GOP.com, 5/14/09]
Most Americans WANT More Government Intervention In Health Care Delivery
More Than 70% Of Americans Polled Want An Increased Governmental Role In Health Care. According to CNN, "seventy-two percent of those questioned in recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey say they favor increasing the federal government's influence over the country's health care system in an attempt to lower costs and provide health care coverage to more Americans, with 27 percent opposing such a move. Other recent polls show six in 10 think the government should provide health insurance or take responsibility for providing health care to all Americans." [CNN.com, 3/5/09]
"Inaccurate Rhetoric About Socialized Medicine And Government-Run Health Care Is A Distraction" From The Policy Debate. According to a report issued by the Urban Institute, "the core issue in health reform is not specifically the role of government, but what policies yield the best possible consequences for the American public. Such results include the number of people with health coverage, individuals' access to quality care, curbing cost growth, and consumers' ability to make choices about their health care and health coverage. Inaccurate rhetoric about socialized medicine and government-run health care is a distraction from these much more fundamental concerns." [Urban.org, 4/2008]
What Is More "Common Sense" Than Providing Additional Options?
Rep. Blunt: "Instead of a government takeover, Republicans and the Health Care Solutions Group are ready to work with Democrats to make common-sense health care reforms to give every American access to quality, affordable care." [Rep. Roy Blunt blog via GOP.com, 5/14/09]
A Quality, Affordable, Public Health Care Option Will Provide More Choices For Americans
"A Public Plan Would Provide An Essential Option" For Americans. Harold Pollack, public health policy researcher at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration and faculty chair of the Center for Health Administration Studies, wrote in an op-ed: "A public plan would provide an essential option--and an equally essential backup--for millions of Americans living with chronic illnesses or disabilities." [The New Republic, 3/10/09]
President Obama: "Keep The Private Sector Honest, Because There's Some Competition Out There." During the Health Care Summit at the White House, Senator Grassley commented to President Obama, "there's a lot of us that feel that the public option that the government is an unfair competitor and that we're going to get an awful lot of crowd out, and we have to keep what we have now strong, and make it stronger." President Obama replied: "The thinking on the public option has been that it gives consumers more choices, and it helps give -- keep the private sector honest, because there's some competition out there. That's been the thinking. [Health Care Summit, Transcript via Talking Points Memo, 3/5/09]
