Women Speak Out Against Government Takeover of Health Care

leigh Hennessy | August 19, 2009, 9:46am | #

THIS STORY IS A BIG LIE!!! THIS PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH!!! I was so angry about your ad against the public option in Health Care Reform! You claims about the UK health care system is LIE!

I'm married to a Brit and his sister survived years longer than she should have with breast cancer. SHE RECEIVED MEDICATIONS THAT WERE NOT ALLOWED BY US HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES!!! SHE WOULD HAVE DIED MUCH SOONER HAD SHE BEEN AN AMERICAN!!!

I absolutely abhor all the lies about health care in the UK. My husband's family has better health care than American's do. They are happy and always get the care they need, bar none! The are not rationed like we are in the US. They are not subject to "pre-existing conditions" like we are! They are WELL CARED FOR!

STOP YOU UNTRUTHFUL AD CAMPAIGN NOW!!!

Mike | August 20, 2009, 12:37am | #

Interesting that a search for Lewin on this site returns a search result for this article, in the sentence containing the word "shocking," yet the mention of Lewin group has been subsequently removed from that sentence. I did that search because of a TV commercial I saw for this site, mentioning a study from the Lewin Group. Gee, from lewin.com: "The Lewin Group is an Ingenix company. Ingenix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group." I'm sure these studies are completely unbiased. Get a clue people...

Robert Peterso | August 20, 2009, 8:24pm | #

I am a little more than miffed when it comes to the deceptive ads and nut jobs concerning the health care debate that are cropping up in the media these days. Attributing Obama to Hitler and the “final solution” was the most recent and particularly offensive example. Shifting the debate to gun zealots and second amendment rights when we are talking about health care is another disgusting approach.

The latest pile of over simplification and deception is being promulgated by none other than Chris Matthews’ frequent contributor Michelle D Bernard head of the Independent Woman’s Forum.

The recent ad featuring a breast cancer survivor who claims that had it not been for the “American” system she would not be alive to tell the tale. She goes on to state that if one compares the American System to that of the UK the survival rates for breast cancer in America are so much better than that “socialist” system. Message: “If you want to live don’t change health care.” The conclusion drawn on their web site is that 300,000 more breast cancer victims in the US would have died in the last decade had they been treated in England. What over simplistic drivel.

The lady’s statement on its face is correct. Further examination of the facts however could reveal a far different conclusion. On an age adjusted basis the breast cancer survival rate is poorer statistically in the UK. Netherlands and Denmark top the list. What she fails to mention is that the survival rates in Canada are exactly the same as in America. Countries like Spain, Greece, Australia and many of the former Eastern Bloc countries including Russia and Cuba have a better survival rate than the US. If you really want a better statistical outcome China and Japan beat the US by a wide margin. My goodness some of these countries actually have so called socialized medicine!

If you want to improve survival don’t be poor is a better premise. There is plenty of evidence to support the fact that if you have means your survival rate goes up significantly for all disease.

There is no denying that there have been many new modalities of treatment which may have contributed to improved survival rates not only in the US but globally. Breast cancer rates overall are falling in the US but we do not know exactly why. Outcomes for breast cancer or any cancer are not solely attributed to health care delivery. Other factors that contribute to the survival rate have more to do with factors of environment. Makeup of the population, obesity, dietary considerations (diets high in fat) all contribute to the survival of breast cancer victims. Factors such as women who do not bear children and breast feeding rates also contribute to both the incidence and survival of breast cancer.

I am not an epidemiologist but you don’t have to be one to realize that anything can be proven if you slant the premise or the facts. Truth is very elusive.

I think the media would do a service to all if they would call the makers of these deceptive ads and marginal nut jobs on the carpet. Why is the news media not doing more to keep the reporting of these deceptive comments in check? At the very least ads should be screened for accuracy.

We need some sort of standard to make certain that what is represented is a fair representation of facts. We should not and do not tolerate deceptive ads in marketing of products, food or drugs without facts checking. Failure to properly represent should have legal consequences for deception. Why are we allowing special interest groups and politicians to get away with the same behaviors? We all need to examine information and decision making in a careful, deliberate and intelligent way. Simple sound bite solutions, fear mongering and outright deception are not the way we should be looking at this extremely complex issue of Health Care.

You really need to pull you deceptive ad.

Margaret | August 21, 2009, 10:13am | #

You don't seem to mentioned all the millions of uninsured women who would end up with NO CARE at all. Do you people realize that the Life Expectancy in the UK is longer than that in the US with all your very expensive private health care!!!!!! In the UK you can also have Private Health Care to supplement the public health care, and no-one is forced into bankcruptcy to pay for their healthcare. And no it's not Russia.

Tracy W | August 21, 2009, 2:06pm | #

This ad is a LIE! You hold yourself out to be a womens organization. How many uninsured women will die this year because they cannot afford a mammogram out of their own pocket?

How many women who are breast cancer survivors might lose their job this year and not be able to continue treatment, even if they get new insurance, because of their cancer being a preexisting condition?

Noone is proposing to take healthcare AWAY from anyone. There is nothing in the bill that would cause anyone to lose their healthcare. This ad is a blatant lie. This is irresponsible to the point of being immoral, and if this helps defeat healthcare reform, you will have contributed to further suffering and death in this country.

Karina | August 21, 2009, 7:43pm | #

I just saw one of the commercials so studded with lies. Looking at some of the other articles here - yeah this is a right wing group interested only in neo-con ideology. I'm afraid of going for a mamogram even though I'm 47 cause if they find something, I'm screwed. I have sucky insurance right now and I don't know how much they'll cover. When I get a job again, IF they supply insurance anything found won't be covered. At least the Govt running health care they aren't interested in making a 35% profit. Even the Casinos are allowed only %25.

Paula Goldman | August 23, 2009, 11:51am | #

Every time I see your ad on Breast Cancer survival I fume. It is a lie. I am an American who lived in the UK for 20 years and had impeccable care. I am a 58 year old self employed woman who has been back in the States for 6 years. In England every year in my late 40's and 50's I was called in to my physicians office for a check up, a mammogram, cervical smears and a colonoscopy. They wanted to keep me healthy. It is called preventative care. It was in their interest to keep me well. My health and that of my sons was followed and documented by our local doctor. Since both of my parents had colon cancer, this was very comforting. Since returning to USA my life's biggest stress is fear of illness because of the costs I would incur. That stress alone adds to my vulnerablity medically. With an income of about $25,000 a year in Montana I pay $7000 a year for the most mininmum insurance with a $5000 deductible. I pay for mammograms. I can not afford a colonscopy so I have not had one in 6 years. The only reason I have health insurance is to protect my assets (my home and retirement savings)in case of catastrophic illness.

Now my young adult sons who are students and would like to be able to live in the USA if they choose can not afford insurance and after their life long impeccable care they received in the UK they are very critical of what they see available (or not available to them) in the USA. How does a healthy 23 year old student just finishing University shopping for a job in a weak economy afford health insurance? It is also a fallacy that most employers provide good health insurance. Do you pick a job just because you get insurance, or do you find work you love? These are all choices dictated by lack of public health care. Small business owners like myself and the self employed suffer under the current system. I need help!
I do not understand the fears of Americans worried about Public Options. These are false scare tactics out there in the media.

Brooke | August 24, 2009, 9:18am | #

This ad makes me sick. The women in this ad must have lots of money to pay for breast cancer treatments, which could bankrupt the average American woman. This is a tough luck Charley ad for women who don't have enough or no coverage for breast cancer or ANY major illness and I don't believe the nonsense about other countries not providing fast enough care. I had a breast biopsy and the biospy alone left me with a large OTC bill. I figure if the biopsy is hard to pay for waht about the huge cost to treat the disease. This is a selfish ad and I mute it or turn it off when it is on the air. Start caring about others besides the ones who have all the health care they need and don't have to mortgage their house or lose it to cancer! It would be nice if people could get some not all financial help with cancer treatment. The ones who will die will be the women with insurance but not enough to keep the wolves from the door and that is enough to kill someone.

phreakwars | August 25, 2009, 2:59am | #

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Women%27s_Foru...

From the Wikipedia article about them:

"Founded by Rosalie (Ricky) Gaull Silberman, Anita Blair, and Barbara Olson in 1992, the IWF grew out of the ad hoc group, "Women for Judge Thomas," that was created to defend Clarence Thomas against allegations of sexual harassment and other improprieties. By 1996 the organization had some 700 dues-paying members who met regularly at luncheons to network and share ideas.

Since Silberman, presidents of IWF have included Nancy M. Pfotenhauer and Anita Blair. The current president and CEO of the organization is Michelle D. Bernard, who assumed the role in January 2006. Before joining the IWF, Bernard, who holds a juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, served in the executive office of the 2000 Bush-Cheney Presidential Inaugural Committee and as a partner at the Washington, D.C. law office of Patton Boggs, LLP.

The IWF has been described as "a virtual 'Who's Who' of Washington's Republican establishment." People for the American Way, which is critical of the organization, describes IWF as "a secular counterpart to Religious Right women’s groups like Eagle Forum and Concerned Women for America."

laurie | September 1, 2009, 10:01pm | #

The ads are insulting. Our congressmen and their families have really good government insurance. And options. The same options they want all Americans to have. With the exception of the Republican party; they have that same great insurance but they don't want the American people to have it. When was the last time a republican opted out of the government based insurance to buy their own?

Amy | September 2, 2009, 1:43pm | #

It is amazing that this article is given any credence. There isn't any concrete evidence to explain why there is a difference between the US and UK systems. Moreover, how many people in the US have cancer and don't have the insurance to cover themselves because of a preexisting condition? In many of these cases these people have to apply for state and government aid to get the care they need or they would not survive.

This report is unfortunately one sided from an organization that claims to support women. Apparently they are only supporting career women or married women with health care through their jobs and husbands/domestic partners. What about women business owners that can't afford insurance, or single moms working as waitresses with no coverage. How is the current system helping these women if they get cancer?

ms jayne | September 6, 2009, 5:37am | #

Don't be afraid of health care being proposed by obama. In canada we are amazed at what the americans are saying about us. Old people do not have to wait for operations, any emergency situation is taken first. All is free we pay through our taxes, yes they are high but we don't care we look out for one another and the tax taken is hardly noticed. As far as people going to the usa for treatment well americans go abroad all the time for treatment, so that argument runs flat. Listen your people are going into debt for health car loseing their homes. The rich are fine the way things are and can you blame them? The poor desperatly need it because you are loseing thousands of people every day because they can't aford treatment. We as canadians don't have a problem with our system, we are the greatest country in the world, we don't lock our doors aren't afraid to walk down the streets in our major citys. We fought along side you during both wars. Where are all the lies comming from is it just fear? Don't be afraid and look after your poor sisters stop being so greedy and stop the lies please. The way your country is going due to radicals in the government you are going to need all the help you can get. communism is on it's way what will you do then? Everything will be rationed soon. Glenn beck has done his homework and soon the broadcasting committee will say glenn beck is leaving the building. Trust me you have more worrys than you think. Ans while I have you what have you done for young women have you taught them to get thier education before considering getting married? There are more and more girls taking their clothes off for men they still live under the power of men. Strippers at age 16 . As far as I am concerned you as a group have done nothing to enhance A Women to grow. So I asume you are a bunch of rich housewifes doing exactly the same as acorn.

Wendy | September 6, 2009, 3:03pm | #

You guys are copletely full of it. I can't stand how your twist the facts to meet your needs. The government health care plan is OPTIONAL! No one is going to be forced to switch off their current health care.

And people who make more than 300k a year don't have to worry about a tax hike. Honestly, unless they manage their money really badly they are rich and can certainly afford it. Your rediculous commercial makes it look like even the low income people will be footing the bill.

And our cancer survival rate is higher than England because we have the better treatments. It has nothing to do with who runs health care.

And if you honestly think health insurance companies don't already limit what you can and can't be treated for then you need to wake up.

Stop using scare tactics and tell the truth!!

Beth Fehlbaum | September 8, 2009, 9:10pm | #

Your ad is a blatant lie. What I want to know is: who funds you? ANY company that is funding you, I will NOT patronize, and I will spread the word high and low about those companies. It worked against companies funding commercials on Glenn Beck's show. Should work with you idiots and those who fund you, too.

Jeannine | September 9, 2009, 11:19pm | #

This ad is not a lie. People need to seriously educate themselves instead of believing everything they see on tv commercials. Those are paid ads!!!! Do your own research!! People in other countries can get medications that are not approved here in the US because the FDA regulates all drugs. If they are created in labs/factories that don't meet standards, they will not be approved. If they don't go through proper testing and application, they will not be approved. How many of you have done FDA submissions? It can take about 30 years to get a drug to market. Years of research. Our government is bankrupt and you people think it should provide all of us with public healthcare?? You sound like children who don't get the fact that money doesn't grow on trees and always expect mom and dad to pay for everything. What we need is healthcare REFORM!!!!! GET A CLUE!!