Delay Could Help Explain Reform to the Public

The danger in delay is that it gives conservative opponents of healthcare reform more time to distort the truth about what reform will mean. Over the past month Media Matters has done a good job of tracking how even the mainstream media "continues to spread conservative misinformation on health-care reform."

The month of August will give conservatives ample opportunity to further muddy the waters. Meanwhile, Congressmen who want true reform won't have a single clear bill that they can point ot and talk about. Opponents will be able to fear-monger by telling the public that "no one knows what will wind up in the legislation. Who knows how a "government takeover" will limit your rights and benefits?

Earlier this week, even the New York Times repeated claims that reform legislation will include "government-encouraged euthanasia."

In fact, the House bill would pay doctors to explain palliative care to patients. Palliative care does not mean abandoning hope. Quite the opposite. Palliative care specialists spell out the potential benefits and risks of various treatments so that patients (or families) can share in decisions about which treatments to pursue. At the same time, these specialists are trained in the fine art of controlling pain.

On the other hand, August could give both the White House and progressive Congressmen a chance to clarify what reform means, addressing some of the questions Mark Kelley outlines. The president should continue to take his case directly to the public.

He should emphasize that the House bill would reduce Medicare spending only by discouraging unnecessary, ineffective and potential risky care that provides no benefit to certain patients. He should remind Americans that most Medicare beneficiaries like Medicare, and that the House bill aims to improve Medicare by paying more for higher quality care and better outcomes.

He should reassure voters that a public insurance plan would be modeled on a new, improved version of Medicare that offers better coordinated, more efficient, patient-centered care.

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Maggie Mahar

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Delay Could Help Explain Reform to the Public