The Boogeyman Is Out There

A news conference held by Congresswoman Cathy McMorris was featured in a Spokesman-Review article today. The choice of words is telling.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers warned this week that health care reform could limit treatment for disabled children, but people who advocate for the disabled say it will expand coverage.

What is the basis for "could" other than saying it? And then there's the logic involved.

“It doesn’t matter that rationing’s not spelled out in the bill; rationing will happen,” said Jeanne Bolewitz, of Rochester Hills, Mich., whose son Joshua has Down syndrome.

I suppose that since mandatory lobotomies are not spelled out in the bill, they will happen too. And let's not forget to instill fear for something that isn't there.

There is broad consensus in Congress about the need to reform the health insurance market, [McMorris Rodgers] said, but she’s concerned about a “one-size-fits-all” health plan she contends would limit patients’ ability to choose a doctor or have access to specialized care.

The Republican congresswoman acknowledged there’s nothing in the leading proposals that would do that, but insisted it’s a concern that should be kept in mind.

Never mind the real proposals. Use fear and distraction to focus on the monster under your bed. But wait, there's more than one.

“If we get to a point where there’s single-payer, we’re going to have to figure out how to pay for it,” she said in an interview. “One option is to raise taxes, and the other is to begin limiting care.”

Single payer may be desirable for some, but it's not even an option being proposed right now. Regardless, Cathy McMorris Rodgers says we need to watch out for it. Otherwise, when we try to change the system that works so well for us now we might make it worse.