Mischaracterizations (again)

The various mischaracterizations of the proposed reforms of health care continue, and today we've got Tim Bryant at 1340-AM, a buddy of mine, inaccurately describing the plan in one of his news reports.

During a news break on 960-AM, Bryant leads off his segment by saing 'This from the government that wants to run your health care ...' and then proceeds to play a clip from Ray LaHood, the Secretary of Transportation describing the process to secure additional reimbursements for 'Cash For Clunkers.' Of course, it's misleading for three primary reasons.

The first is the obvious - the government isn't trying to take over your health care. Rightly or wrongly, the public insurance option would only be eligible for a fairly small group of individuals in the country (less than 10 million). The overwhelming majority of folks will see no change in their current insurance status, while others will merely receive a subsidy, based on a sliding scale, to assist them in purchasing private insurance.

Secondly, comparing this program, which includes a litany of checks and balances in the system - coupled with the aforementioned limitations on who is eligible for the public option - with 'Cash For Clunkers' is apples and oranges. There was little limitation on who could participate in that program, meaning there was a massive rush of interested consumers (who also took advantage of limited promotions offered by the private dealers aimed at maximizing their purchasing power). The system got swamped early, but is being sorted out. It's only fault is that it's been too successful.

Thirdly, the government already provides health insurance in a variety of ways ranging from single-payer-style Medicare to the veteran's services that parallel the British form of health care. Given those various offerings are consisently viewed as wildly successful and feature high levels of consumer satisfaction, suggesting otherwise is foolish.