The author highlights Medicare & Medicaid scare tactics, the source of premium increases, and the selling of health reform as government takeover. The author discusses how Republicans are misinforming the public about the truths of reform, and how democrats are failing to set the record straight. This seems like hardly a new tactic for the Republicans, so why have the democrats not been able to respond to these scare tactics?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
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I would agree that these are hardly new tactics, and I am not surprised that opponents of reform are continuing the campaign to denounce the new health care law, especially with the upcoming mid-term elections. I don't know how much more proponents of the health care law can do to respond to these scare tactics at this point. Although there are a few provisions that have already been implemented this year, I can imagine that it would be difficult for Members of Congress to defend the law at town hall meetings, for example since so many of the benefits of reform are still unknown to many. This makes it just as easy for opponents of reform to attack the new law and spread myths as they did in last year's debates. Proponents of reform can defend the new law by highlighting benefits as provisions are implemented, but of course, we won't see the majority of those provisions implemented until 2014.
I also wonder if proponents are speaking up and responding to scare tactics but are being ignored by the media. Several important provisions of health care reform were implemented on September 23rd, and although grassroots organizations nationwide, some Members of Congress and even Governor Schwarzenegger highlighted the importance of this day and the provisions that were being implemented by holding press conferences and rallies, I did not notice very much television media around the changes. I wonder how many Americans who are still very against reform and who are perpetuating the myths of reform are aware of the provisions that have been implemented already. The media appears to be highlighting and perpetuating the scare tactics rather than focusing on the fact that children can no longer be denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions or on the fact that some Medicare beneficiaries are already receiving their $250 rebate checks to cover some of their prescription drug costs.
I am eager to see how the discussion around health reform will change after mid-term elections. Will Democrats who supported reform start pushing back against the scare tactics? Will opponents of reform start to back down?
I also agree that none of these are brilliant new tactics... This does remind me of a pretty entertaining debunk of Medicare scares from Politifact.com:
http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/oct/22/dan-coats/health-care-law-forces-seniors-barack-obamas-gover/
I was also surprised to read about how interest groups (including their use of media) are commonly one of the most influential forces in policy, second only to Congress (In the Weissert book for PH220). I guess this should not be a surprise given the rise in number of interest groups and marriage with Partisan politics over the last few decades.
I think Democrats will need to step carefully to point out the benefits to the public as the reforms unfold, or else Republicans will quickly seize any opportunities to construe new changes as negatives for ordinary Americans.
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