During the the first debate, Mitt Romney emphatically stated that 15 member Independent Payment Advisory Board, (IPAB) created under the affordable care act will determine what treatments patients receive. President Obama rightfully pointed out that the board was forbidden to make patient – Dr. decisions by law. This is simply another Romney lie. Romney alluded to the board on six separate occasions and on each one, his statements have been determined to be in accurate. The advocacy group, Health Care for America, referred to Romney’s statements as a, “boldface lie, and he knows it.”
Many nonpartisan writers, reporters and other groups have written in the last three months extensively about the Republican strategy. Their entire strategy is a ruse. Republicans hate Obama to such an extent they will vote for any candidate regardless of the issues. The Republican strategy is to confuse or attempt to confuse the remaining voters. And yes, many people actually believe his lies. For more on this issue you can refer to this link. thehill

Aug 16, 2012

In the last few days, there is been considerable political rhetoric on both sides regarding Medicare. We have investigated several sources on the internet and are compiling these into a single bundle that hopefully we all can understand. This process may take another few days and you are welcome to return as we’ll be updating the information as it is obtained. With each statement, we will attempt to provide the source through a link. From the numerous sources, we have reviewed thus far, it is evident the Willard Romney/Paul Ayn Ryan ticket is totally distorting the truth. Romney can lie with the best of them and his base would believe it if he told them, Mr Obama was really white guy who turned black in order to use the race card to his advantage.

 

1. The Romney-Ryan campaign in its latest TV ad assails Obama for approving cuts to Medicare in 2010. The ad; “Obama has cut $716 billion dollars from Medicare,” says the narrator. “The money you paid for your guaranteed health care…is going to a massive new government program that’s not for you.”

2.Romney also claims the president’s actions will ultimately lead to reduced access to health care.

3.Gov. Sununu claimed in an interview with Soledad O’brien, that the President “reduces services to Medicare beneficiaries currently on the package.”

4. Romney also claims, Obamacare adds trillions to our deficits and to our national debt, and pushes those obligations on to coming generations.

A Congressional Budget Office report notes keeping “Obamacare” would not mean a $716 billion decrease in Medicare funding. The cost of Medicare would continue to rise, just not as rapidly. The CBO says the money – Democrats call it savings, Republicans call it cuts – would be achieved mostly through cutbacks in payments to providers and by changes to payment rates in private Medicare plans. (reference number 1)

As stated by FactCheck.org, Romney’s “figure ignores major cost-cutting provisions including cuts in the future growth of Medicare and increased payroll taxes and investment-income taxes on higher-income earners. According to the Congressional Budget Office, “once all those revenue streams are factored in, CBO has estimated that the law would actually reduce the federal deficit by $210 billion over the 2012-2021 period.” (reference number 4)  see Table One

Most of you have most likely seen the video of  Soledad O’brien shutting down the out right lies spewed by Gov. Sununu. She fact checked and utilize several sources to validate the falsehoods of the governor. Below is the video .( reference number 3) Soledad spreading the cloak of truth over the Romney campaign

The AARP who conducted a thorough analysis for its members,  actually praises the President’s Medicare plan. Some of their most significant statements include the following:

“The health care law strengthens Medicare by protecting and improving your guaranteed benefits and cracking down on waste, fraud and inefficiency. It also identifies savings that will keep Medicare financially stable for 12 years longer than if the law hadn’t been passed.” The law protects any cuts to Medicare’s guaranteed benefits, which include doctor, hospital and rehabilitation services. This is true whether you have Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.”

As can be read above, the law prevents any cuts in the future to guaranteed benefits. (Reference 1,2,and 3) So how does Romney look into his constituents with a straight face and lie that the president is reducing benefits, and robbing them of their future health care. Easy, because he’s a psychopathic liar. He will do anything and say anything to get elected. And his surrogates simply fall right in the line as Gov. Sununu did and hold a straight face. Fortunately, not all of us are robotically programmed. You can read the entire AARP analysis by clicking on this link. The AARP health care analysis

 

Update: 8-22-2012

Newser hits Romey hard on Medicare falsehoods-8-22-2012

(Newser) – “Mitt Romney often promises to restore $716 billion in Medicare funding cut by the Affordable Care Act, but many experts say that pledge is, in the words of one economist, “both puzzling and bogus.” That’s because what Romney would be “restoring” wouldn’t be funds but costs, the New York Times explains. The ACA cut Medicare’s reimbursements to hospitals and doctors. Experts project that restoring them would send Medicare into insolvency by 2016 (rather than 2024 as currently projected), and cost seniors $342 a year in premiums and co-pays.”  MORE

 

More To Come

 

 

The anti-Medicaid, states that opted out as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision, are taking a page from Ayn Rand’s writings. She deplored charity and advocated selfishness. The link below is a more comprehensive explanation and analysis but we offer this brief overview.

Florida’s governor, Rick Scott opted out of the Medicaid expansion and will affect hundreds of thousands of people who are unable to receive healthcare. Sandra Pico, a Miami, Florida, resident who is the sole breadwinner of the family of three does not qualify because her $15,000 a year salary exceeds the $11,000 Medicaid eligibility requirements in the state of Florida. All of the states that are currently opted out of the Medicaid expansion have Republican governors and legislatures. Most of the states have different eligibility requirements for Medicaid but the lowest income requirements are, not surprisingly in states with Republican governors. For example, in Louisiana and Texas a family of three is  eligible if their annual income exceeds $5000.

Under the Obama plan, 7 million additional Americans would be eligible should the states participate in the program. According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of Ryan’s 2011 budget plan, an additional 14 to 27,000,000 Americans would become an eligible even after a repeal of the health care act. Republican hate. The Ayn Rand crowd. The Republicans are right; this is the most important election of our generation. What are you doing?

Republican Hate- Medicaid

Learn more about Ayn Rand

This post attempts to include most of the statements made by various politicians after the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

This first grouping is from PolitifFact:

Rick Scott – Florida Governor: A company with “20 employees” could go “out of business” because of health care law requirements to buy insurance. Rated blatantly wrong or “pants on fire.”

Rick Scott – Florida Governor:  The Medicaid expansion is “going to cost Florida $1.9 billion a year.”  Rated wrong and wildly overstated.

Rick Scott – Florida Governor: Says the health care law rations care, like systems in Canada and Great Britain. Rated wrong and simply empty rhetoric.

Mitt Romney –Obamacare … means that for up to 20 million Americans, they will lose the insurance they currently have, the insurance that they like and they want to keep.”  Rated incorrect.

Mitt Romney –”Obamacare adds trillions to our deficits and to our national debt.” Rated incorrect

Rush Limbaugh –”Obamacare is . . . the largest tax increase in the history of the world.” Rated, pants on fire; a total lie.

United States Chamber of Commerce: “20 million people could lose their current coverage” … “including our senior citizens who are on Medicare.” Rated pants on fire; a total lie

United States Chamber of Commerce: “Seniors will see $500 billion in Medicare cuts to fund Obamacare.” Rated mostly false.

United States Chamber of Commerce: “Obamacare … will kill jobs across America.”  Rated totally false

 

From factcheck.org

Republican claims the affordable health care act will result in substantial job losses. Rated:  “The exaggerated Republican claim that the new health care law “kills jobs” was high on our list of the “Whoppers of 2011.” But the facts haven’t stopped Republicans and their allies from making the “job-killing” claim a major theme of their campaign 2012 TV ads.” factcheck

The Romney campaign asserts that Obama failed to live up to his promise to reduce health insurance premiums for families by $2500 a year. Factcheck.org rates this statement as four Pinocchios and totally false. They refer to it as a Romney whopper.

A Republican claim that the federal health care law taxes “heart attacks, sick puppies and even new babies” is a dog. Turns out it’s a reference to excise taxes on certain medical devices.

“The National Republican Congressional Committee crams a highlight reel of misleading claims about the health care law into a 90-second video that encourages viewers to sign an “I Want Repeal” petition. We’ve seen most of these before, but the claim about puppies and babies was new to us. And we found it takes more stretching than a puppy with fleas to make those claims hold up. Factcheck.org  Rated false.