McCaughey advances falsehood that task force would limit preventive care under health reform bill
In a November 24 New York Post column, Betsy McCaughey suggested that both "women -- and men" would "lose" under the Senate health care bill because preventive care would be limited by the US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, and quoted medical professor James Thrall stating: "I fear we are entering an era of deliberate decisions where we choose to trade people's lives for money." But insurers operating under the Senate health care reform bill are not required to adopt recommendations against preventive screening, only to adopt those recommendations supporting preventive screening.
McCaughey falsely suggested the Senate health care bill limits coverage for preventive services
From McCaughey's November 24 New York Post column:
Last week, the US Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF] recommended that women forego mammograms between the age of 40 and 50, settle for mammograms every two years thereafter and stop altogether after 74 -- a huge departure from current practice. The Task Force says its guideline will be 81 percent as effective in saving lives and should be good enough. This is the same task force empowered by the Senate bill to determine preventive care in your benefit package (p. 17). James Thrall, a Harvard Medical School professor, says, "I fear we are entering an era of deliberate decisions where we choose to trade people's lives for money."
In fact, the Senate bill does not enable task force to limit preventive services
Senate bill does not require insurers to adopt USPSTF recommendations against preventive screenings, only those in favor of specific preventive screenings. Page 17 of the Senate health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which McCaughey cited, requires insurance companies to cover screenings that the USPSTF rates as A or B recommendations. It does not require insurers to adopt guidelines - as suggested by McCaughey -- that recommend against preventive screenings:
''SEC. 2713. COVERAGE OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES.
''(a) IN GENERAL. -- A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall provide coverage for and shall not impose any cost sharing requirements for --
''(1) evidence-based items or services that have in effect a rating of 'A' or 'B' in the current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force;
Section-by section analysis: Sec. 2713 "[r]equires all plans to cover preventative services and immunizations recommended by" USPSTF, CDC. From the Senate Democrats' section-by-section analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:
Sec. 2713. Coverage of preventive health services. Requires all plans to cover preventive services and immunizations recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the CDC, and certain child preventive services recommended by the Health Resources and Services Administration, without any cost-sharing.
So, it's not that they will be limited. It's that they will be mandated. There's no ceiling, there's only a floor.
And that's what worries the Republicans. After all, they want to allow insurance companies to sell very minimal policies in states that have more stringent guidelines for what insurance coverage must provide. That's how they can 'claim' that they help reduce premium costs - they will allow people to buy cheaper insurance that covers less, a clear violation of states rights. The states should be able to continue to insist upon whatever standards their residents demand in each state.
Most Americans, however, would like to keep the preventative care and higher quality of overall care they are paying for.
Also, you people try too hard to convince people that Dr. McCaughey is "liar," that you took one small piece out of this thoughtful analysis and twist what she says for your purposes: She did NOT say that the guidlines stated are IN the bill as you claim, but she DID (truthfully) say that the Senate bill gives the USPSTF the AUTHORITY to determine preventative care to be given unfer their Governmet-run health care system. If one puts two and two together, then we see the potential here.
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I don't know, what is the score for insurance companies, currently, when asked to pay for preventative services?
Why the "Dr" label? She isn't an M.D. right? No medical training? From what I have read, she has a PhD in US Constitutional History. Do you refer to all successful doctoral candidates as "Dr."?
Use of "Doctor" is generally reserved in common parlance to M.D. or a similar medically-related advanced degree.
The information was there two years ago, so why didn't Republicans and MSM "yell" controversy then? Oh, that's right two years ago it was a Republican Administration who had "NO" plans on reforming HealthCare in 2007. Just shameful, shameful, shameful for these Republicans to stoop so low to kill HealthCare Reform. Hmmm...
Another clear sign that right wing radio is nothing but uncompensated in-kind contributions to republicans.
For a professor, this guy's pretty dumb. We aren't entering into this era, we've been there FOR YEARS.