Big Sky Cairn

Cody beat me to the punch on Jay’s latest bout of misrepresentation. Here are a couple random thoughts that I would add;

“Montana kids deserve to have their healthcare needs addressed. However, the House Democrat bill has made the welfare of our children a political issue based on a narrow, extremist political ideology”

Compare that quote to this; “based on an ‘extremist political ideology’ to expand government-run health care.” Hmm, one has to wonder where Jay got the end-bit he is putting in quotes, inferring it was part of the original, which it demonstrably is not. Also removed is all context that the use of kids as political pawns is the source of the extremist ideology line.

Again, not that I have huge expectations out of Jay to accurately source info. But, if you are going to state that a GAO study concluded Medicare Advantage was bad for seniors at least link to the study, not an opinion piece. That said, the GAO study was a relatively mixed bag and if I may indulge in selective quotations like my friend on the left, the GAO also had this to say;

“Medicare Advantage beneficiaries generally, but not always, receive additional value in the form of reduced cost sharing, lower premiums, and extra benefits, compared to Medicare FFS beneficiaries.” (pg. 7)

To take a complex analysis like the GAO did, and distill it into a one-sided statement that MA is bad for seniors is the height of intellectual dishonesty. There are problems with MA for sure, but it is a false attack to say that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are worse off on their Advantage plan than they are under standard Medicare Fee For Services.

Finally, if we are going to talk cost to taxpayer, and tobacco tax increases. These cuts to healthcare groups and seniors should also be in the dialogue.

• $2.7 billion in cuts to inpatient and outpatient payments to hospitals
• $2.9 billion in cuts in specialty hospitals
• $6 billion in cuts to home oxygen care (guess grandma doesn’t need to breathe)
• $7.2 billion in cuts to home health agencies
• $6.5 billion in cuts to nursing facilities (grandma doesn’t need a bed either)

I can go on and on with this, it is amazing what you can find when you take the time to sort through what was different between the House and Senate SCHIP bills, rather than spout off the same tired, and false, lines.