Repealing PPACA may be a bad idea…however

Organizing for America  is an interesting political organization. It never gives up the party line and rarely let’s the facts get in the way. Here is a recent e-mail I received. Note that insurance companies are the beneficiaries of repealing health care reform. Do you recall that during the health care debate PPACA was accused of creating a windfall for insurance companies by mandating coverage and subsidizing coverage for millions of Americans? But they do have a point that Republicans should note. Eliminating all the goodies will not play well in Hooterville.

Richard —

At 5:53 p.m. Eastern Time today, the House moved to repeal health insurance reform.

Every single Republican — all 242 — voted for repeal.

This is a vote for insurance companies. There is no other way to put it.

Because if the question is what is best for Americans, repeal would never come up: Health reform is already at work improving the lives of millions of people. Repeal will result in 32 million fewer Americans with health coverage — and add $230 billion to the deficit over the next 10 years.

Republicans in Congress need to know there’s a political price to pay for siding with special interests over the constituents in their districts.

We’re putting together a dedicated team of organizers and volunteers across the country to protect our progress on health reform — and we need 3 donations from xxx to make sure they have the resources they need.

Chip in $3 or more to support Organizing for America and help stop repeal before it’s too late.

The Affordable Care Act addresses and ends some of the worst insurance-industry abuses against families, children, seniors, and the sick — the cost of repeal would be steep:

— Families, many already struggling to get by, could lose their coverage if someone is in an accident or becomes sick — right when they need it the most.

— A woman with cancer could have her coverage stripped away because of a tiny mistake on a form.

— Pregnant women, children born with disabilities, and anyone with a pre-existing condition — as many as half of Americans under age 65 — could face discrimination or be denied coverage by an insurance company that deems them too costly.

— A senior on Medicare who falls in the “donut hole” in prescription coverage would once again have to make up that cost out of pocket — and start paying for all preventative care.

— The deficit would increase by $230 billion over the next 10 years — placing an unfair burden on our children and grandchildren and future generations who will have to pay for this mistake.

— Insurance companies could go back to working for corporate profit and CEO bonuses — instead of for the people who pay their premiums.

These cruel and unjust practices are exactly why we organized, donated, volunteered, and spoke out for months, helping to pass legislation 100 years in the making. It’s why we worked with the President and Democrats in Congress to reform a broken and unsustainable health care system.

Now, that progress is being threatened — and we have to do everything we can to protect it.

Organizing for America is running a full-fledged campaign to drive this message home in communities across the country. Our organizers and volunteers will be knocking on doors, writing letters to their local papers, talking to neighbors, and calling their senators.

Support from 3 folks in xxx will ensure we have the tools and resources we need to counteract and stop the repeal effort.

Please donate $3 or more today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/StopRepealNow

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee — 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

Now if Mr. Stewart had said, “The cost of repeal is too high, we will go back to the days of providing health care inefficiently, with many duplicate tests, unnecessary tests and costs rising at more than triple the rate of inflation.  We will revert to fee-for service payments that only encourage higher costs. In addition, if we repeal PPACA the true quality measures we have installed will be overturned,” we might cheer.

If he had said all of that and more like it, then his message would have been credible, but you see he can’t say any of that because the current version of health care reform does not address those issues or any of the most important issues related to health care reform.  Rather Mr. Stewart relies on the barrage of scapegoating and bunches of carrots held out for the American people that have characterized the debate.

As it is, PPACA adds greatly to the overall cost of healthcare in America without putting in place and structural changes that might improve quality and lower or at least mitigate costs.

Oh yes, he is also shamelessly using scare tactics and the false premise that PPACA can be reformed to raise money for the DNC.

Related Articles

• The Health Care Reform Kabuki Theater 2011 Style (alankatz.wordpress.com)
• A Better Way To Understand the PPACA (theinsurancebarn.wordpress.com)