REPEAT AFTER ME: Medicare = Public Plan = Government-Run Health Program = Government-Sponsored Health Plan

The Republicans have shamelessly attempted to scare seniors away from Democrats by preaching the horrors of government-run health plans. This argument, however, is absolutely bankrupt, particularly because Medicare, the primary healthcare payer for all seniors, is the largest public plan in the nation. The federal government designed and enacted Medicare. The federal government determines the amount of reimbursement for doctors and the type of services that are covered. Taxpayers pay for the expenses associated with Medicare. Doctors and patients, as usual, get to select the treatments they pursue.

Prior to Medicare, seniors could only get full health insurance coverage at an extreme cost. Most seniors had only partial coverage or none at all. Full coverage in the private sector was not an option for most seniors, just as full coverage in the private sector is not an option for millions of Americans today.

Republicans, however, opposed Medicare and have always described it as one of the main problems of LBJ's administration -- joining social security enacted during FDR's administration. According to the conservative script, Medicare = social security = welfare = evil "entitlement programs," enacted by "big government" and "big spending" liberal Democrats. Today, however, Republicans are pretending to favor Medicare, while generally describing public plans as socialized medicine. Seniors should find this approach insulting. Sane Republicans should find it embarrassing.

THE END

Possible Part II: Veterans Administration = Public Plan = Government-Run Health Program = Government-Sponsored Health Plan.