New RNC "Research" Conducts An Experiment On The Public's Tolerance For Misleading Information

RNC Clips Article To Conveniently Make Their Faulty Claim

RNC "Research":

"WASHINGTON POST: 'From the raw numbers, it appears seniors are the net losers under bills approved by three House committees ...' (Ceci Connolly, "Seniors Remain Wary Of Health-Care Reform," The Washington Post, 8/9/09)" [GOP.com, 8/25/09, emphasis original]

Yes, the article does include that sentence.  However, the very next paragraph of the article states that providers - not patients - will be affected by payment changes.

Washington Post: Changes To Medicare Will Affect Providers, Not Beneficiaries, And Could Improve Quality Over Time.  According to the Washington Post:

"From the raw numbers, it appears seniors are the net losers under bills approved by three House committees last week. The legislation trims $563 billion out of Medicare's growth rate over the next 10 years while pumping in about $320 billion. Without any changes, the program is expected to cost about $6.4 trillion over the same period.

But three retiree groups and several independent policy analysts say most of the proposed savings affect providers, rather than beneficiaries, and have the potential to improve quality over the long term. Discounts for prescription drugs, higher reimbursements for many doctors and elimination of co-payments for preventive services are some of the ideas advocates applauded.

'I don't see anything that will affect beneficiaries' access to care, though some of it will depend on implementation,' said Joseph Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a nonprofit group focused on older Americans." [Washington Post, 8/9/09, emphasis added]

RNC Falsely States Medicare Changes Will Cause Doctors To Refuse To Treat American Patients

RNC "Research":

"TRYING TO FIND A DOCTOR? Dems Admit Government-Run Health Care Could Force Doctors To Decline You. 'Rep. Eric Massa said tightening provider payments could lead to access problems for patients. 'We will force doctors to decline Medicare patients,' he said after a raucous town-hall meeting in Upstate New York. 'If we believe these savings are there, let's test the concept. But we can't hinge the entire funding of this bill on these not-yet-seen savings.'' (Ceci Connolly, 'Seniors Remain Wary of Health-Care Reform,' The Washington Post, 8/9/09)" [GOP.com, 8/25/09]

House Bill Includes $240 Billion Provision For Medicare Payments To Physicians. The Hill reported: "Medicare funding is vital to physicians. The complex formula that calculates how much Medicare pays doctors is flawed and would have required the government to cut payments in recent years by as much as 21.5 percent. The House bill includes a new payment policy and more than $240 billion in spending to implement it." [The Hill, 8/15/09]

72% Of All Medicare Funding Will Be Used For Physician Payments Under House Reform Bill.  According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, of the $320.4 billion in Medicare spending over the next ten years, 72% will be used to pay physicians for care:

[KFF.org, accessed 8/25/09]

Reform Legislation Will Allow A 5% Medicare Payment Increase For Primary Care Services To Some Physicians.  According to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of HR 3200, among other changes to the Medicare payment structure, the legislation "provides for a 5% payment bonus, effective January 1, 2011, for evaluation and management services and other services associated with ensuring accessible, continuous, coordinated, and comprehensive care when provided by a physician or other practitioner who specializes in family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics or geriatrics." [KFF.org, 8/6/09]

RNC Falsely States Changes To Medicare Will Cause Hospitals To Refuse Patient Admittance

RNC "Research":

"SEARCHING FOR A BETTER HOSPITAL? Medicare Cuts Could Make Hospitals Refuse You. '[L]awmakers are on track to approve across-the-board federal payment reductions of $155 billion over 10 years for hospitals ... Mayo and similar health systems object to the sweeping cuts. 'Across-the-board cuts will be harmful to everyone and we think it is particularly bad to penalize the high-value organizations,' said Jeff Korsmo, executive director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. 'We will have to violate our values in order to stay in business and reduce our access to government patients.'' (Phil Galewitz, ''Model' Health Systems Press Case For Medicare Fix In Reform,' Kaiser Health News, 7/20/09)" [GOP.com, 8/25/09]

HR 3200 Increases Payments To Hospitals.  According to MedicareRights.org: "HR 3200 adds five years to the life of Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, which is now predicted to run short of money to pay claims in 2017.  The bill strengthens Medicare's finances, primarily by reducing the annual increases in payments to hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies, and by bringing subsidies to Medicare private health plans in line with costs under Original Medicare." [MedicareRights.org, accessed 8/26/09]

House Bill Contains Provisions "To Train More Doctors, Nurses, And Other Health Professionals."  According to Medical News Today, H.R. 3200 "would ramp up programs to train more doctors, nurses and other health professionals to improve quality of care for all patients and refocus efforts on improving prevention and wellness efforts." [Medical News Today, 8/3/09]

RNC Falsely States Medicare Council Will Overrule Your Doctor's Ability To Make Decisions

RNC "Research":

"LIKE THE CARE YOU RECEIVE FROM YOUR DOCTOR? Government Board Controlling Medicare Could Overrule Your Doctor's Decisions. 'The president has decided ... that he wants to create a new and very powerful executive branch agency, the Independent Medicare Advisory Council (IMAC) ... Not only would the council make recommendations on payment updates, it would also have the authority to propose other 'Medicare reforms' which would go into effect unless Congress could muster veto override majorities in opposition. What are 'Medicare reforms'? From the write-up, it seems they could be just about anything ... New rules for establishing qualified hospitals and doctors. Penalties for physicians who don't follow government guidelines.' (James C. Capretta, 'On-The-Fly Audacity,' The New Atlantis's 'Diagnosis' Blog,' 7/20/09)" [GOP.com, 8/25/09]

Medicare Council Will Not Make Decisions About The Care Patients Receive

IMAC Would Have Jurisdiction Over Updating Medicare Payment Rates. According to Politico: "The proposed five-member Independent Medicare Advisory Council would be charged with making two annual reports dictating updated rates for Medicare providers including physicians, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health and durable medical equipment." [Politico, 7/15/09]

Current Medicare Payment Commission "Is Too Rife With Politics And Special Interests." Politico reported: "The current Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, established in 1997, already serves to make recommendation to Congress on Medicare spending. Many of its ideas have been incorporated in the current health reform bill, but MedPAC is only advisory and critics contend that the current system is too rife with politics and special interests." [Politico, 7/15/09]

RNC Falsely States Medicare Council Will Ration Patient Care

RNC "Research":

"LIKE THE HEALTH COVERAGE YOU RECEIVE FROM MEDICARE? Government Board Controlling Medicare Could Have Ability To Ration Your Treatments. 'Enter the Obama administration, which submitted to Congress legislative language that would create IMAC and give it broad authority to recommend 'reforms to the Medicare program.' In effect, IMAC would enable Medicare to overcome the political resistance to government rationing ... The stimulus bill and the House reform plan deny federal agencies conducting comparative-effectiveness research the power to 'mandate coverage, reimbursement, or other policies for any public or private payer.' Obama places no such restrictions on IMAC.' (Michael F. Cannon, Op-Ed, 'Sorry Folks, Sarah Palin Is (Partly) Right,' Detroit Free-Press, 8/19/09)" [GOP.com, 8/25/09]

IMAC Is Specifically Excluded From Recommending Changes That Would Affect "Free Choice By Patients."  Page 7, line 20 of the Independent Medicare Advisory Council legislation reads: "(2) EXCLUSIONS. - In exercising its authority under paragraph (1), the Council may not recommend any changes to the following aspects of the Medicare program: (A) Provisions under section 1801 prohibiting federal interference and provisions under section 1802 providing for certain specified beneficiary protections and free choice by patients." [Subtitle - Independent Medicare Advisory Council, via WhiteHouse.gov, accessed 8/25/09]

RNC Falsely Implies Medicare Changes Will Lead To Restricted Access To Cardiologists

RNC "Research":

"HAVE HEART PROBLEMS? Payment Cuts To Cardiologists Could 'Threaten Access' To Heart Treatments You Need. 'Medicare officials recently proposed changes that could increase payments for some primary care services but reduce payments to many specialists. Cardiologists would be especially hard hit, with cuts of more than 20 percent in payments for electrocardiograms and 12 percent for heart stent procedures. 'Cuts of this magnitude could cripple cardiology practices and threaten access to services for millions of patients,' said Dr. John C. Lewin, chief executive of the American College of Cardiology.' (Robert Pear, 'A Basis Is Seen For Some Health Plan Fears Among The Elderly,' The New York Times, 8/20/09)" [GOP.com, 8/25/09]

HR 3200 Increases Funding For Primary Care Without Reducing Funding For Specialty Services.  According to a released statement, "the American Medical Association sent a letter to House leaders supporting H.R. 3200, 'America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.' 'This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform,' said J. James Rohack, MD, AMA president. 'We urge the House committees of jurisdiction to pass the bill for consideration by the full House.' H.R. 3200 includes provisions key to effective, comprehensive health reform, including:

• Coverage to all Americans through health insurance market reforms
• A choice of plans through a health insurance exchange
• An end to coverage denials based on pre-existing conditions
• Fundamental Medicare reform, including repeal of the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula
• Additional funding for primary care services, without reductions on specialty care
• Individual responsibility for health insurance, including premium assistance to those who need it
• Prevention and wellness initiatives to help keep Americans healthy
• Initiatives to address physician workforce concerns" [AMA-ASSN.org, accessed 8/26/09, emphasis added]

RNC Falsely States Changes To Medicare Will "Stifle Innovation"

RNC "Research":

"HOPING FOR A CURE? Medicare Cuts Could Stifle Innovation That Could Produce New Treatments For You. 'Even small reductions to the future growth of Medicare spending - called 'cuts' in Washington parlance - unfairly burden the elderly, along with the doctors and hospitals that serve them and the manufacturers of health products, lest the pace of technical innovation be impaired.' (Uwe Reinhardt, "A 'Common Sense' American Health Reform Plan,' The New York Times' "Economix" Blog, 7/31/09)" [GOP.com, 8/25/09]

Congress Has Already Ensured That Medical Advancement Is Funded Through Comparative Effectiveness Research

Comparative Effectiveness Research Is The Comparison Of Medical Treatments.  According to the Washington Post's Business Columnist, Steven Pearlstein, "comparative effectiveness research" refers to "research done by doctors and statisticians who troll through large number of patient records to determine, for any particular disease, which treatments work best." [Washington Post, 2/13/09]

The Stimulus Bill Allocated $1.1 Billion For CER. According to the New York Times: "The $787 billion economic stimulus bill approved by Congress will, for the first time, provide substantial amounts of money for the federal government to compare the effectiveness of different treatments for the same illness. Under the legislation, researchers will receive $1.1 billion to compare drugs, medical devices, surgery and other ways of treating specific conditions." [The New York Times, 2/15/09]

Experts Want CER Conducted On Autism, Breast And Prostate Cancer, And Depression.  The Chicago Tribune "asked four leading experts what medical issues they consider most deserving of research on comparative effectiveness. The experts selected conditions that affect millions of people and where there's a need for more scientific studies." The experts' suggestions included: obesity, lower back pain, autism spectrum disorders, chronic stable angina, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic pain, depression, early-stage breast cancer, and joint replacements. [Chicago Tribune, 4/24/09]