Here we go again with the college interns at Politifact.
So what is Politifact’s definition of universal?
…a bit different than the textbook, it would appear:
Gecker pointed us to a report last year issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 34 nations — mostly with industrialized economies — seeking to improve trade.
The report says only two OECD countries — the U.S. and Mexico — do not offer universal care. A chart in the study shows that all of the other OECD nations provide coverage for more than 90 percent of their people..
Ah yes, but those are just OECD! What about wealthiest by GDP?
Among high GDP-per-capita nations, universal care coverage is the norm. Only three of the 25 wealthiest — the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Qatar — weren’t listed as having universal health care.
Now let’s set aside just for a moment the fact that Politifact’s own research debunks Gecker’s claim — clearly, patently false. Where did Gecker (or his staff) produce this talking point?
As excited as American liberals and proponents of expanding access to health care might be about the Supreme Court’s decision to largely uphold the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. still stands out from much of the developed world in state efforts to make medical care available to the public. If universal health care in the U.S. is your goal, then today was a big step forward, but maybe also a reminder of how far behind America still lags.
Date of article? 2012.
Yes, Politifact… you just fell for one of the classic blunders. The first is never to fight a land war in Asia, but the second? Never to trust a series of worn out talking points when elections are on the line!!!
Here’s your chart of gloom.
As you can see, about a good fifth of OECD nations don’t provide universal health coverage.
What’s missing? The United States does indeed offer universal health care. What’s the difference? If you walk into an emergency room right now, hospitals are duty-bound to treat you and cannot turn you away for lack of ability to pay. That’s universal health care.
Universal health coverage? Means everyone is paying into the system.
Perhaps what Gecker meant was that everyone needed to start paying into a single payer system? Or perhaps the federal government needed to impose a health care tax to make sure everyone was contributing in the same amounts? Or perhaps we are addressing the symptoms of health care coverage (or lack thereof) and confusing universal health care as a panacea?
It is unfortunate but true that people slip through the cracks in universal systems all over the first world: Cancer patients fight for access to treatments in the United Kingdom’s politically driven socialized health care system; Canadians in excruciating but not-quite-life-threatening pain wait months for treatment and cost the country billions in productivity losses. Coverage, as we have also seen in the U.S., is not always a guarantee of care. It is not necessary to support government-driven universal coverage in order to support finding more sustainable and effective ways to care for those who need it most.
Of course, Gecker’s basic claim?
“Of the 25 wealthiest nations, we’re the only one that doesn’t provide basic health coverage.”
One of two things could be understood. Either (a) Gecker is lamenting that we aren’t raising taxes to force individuals into contributing towards their own health care, or (b) Gecker is claiming that hospitals can turn people away for emergency care — which even private hospitals cannot do.
We have universal health care in America. We do not have universal health coverage. Even so, when 84% of Americans are chipping in, that’s the standard of basic.
Gecker’s claim is ill-informed at best, and ludicrously ignorant at worst. Health care in America is in desperate need of free market revitalization, and as important as the issue is, voters deserve a bit more than warmed over and clearly worn talking points doled out by political hacks.
…and that Politifact tries to thread the needle for Gecker? Absolutely ridiculous.
We rate Politifact back to 3rd grade remedial English class, and award them one Oxford Dictionary just in case they confuse the term universal with 90% again. When Politifact has to actually redefine words and substantially alter what Gecker said to twist it into place? The red flags are legion…
