Separating fact from fiction: Who is spouting myths about health care reform
Those pressing for health care reform via one of the half dozen bills pending in Congress keep insisting that opponents are making stuff up about what’s in those bills — no death panels, no insurance for illegals, no abortion coverage, whatever.
From that fount of setting the record straight, The Wall Street Journal, comes another must-read op-ed piece. This one is from Dr. Groopman, a staff writer for the New Yorker, and Dr. Hartzband, who is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School.
Among the myths exploded by the pair: "The World Health Organization ranks the U.S. 37th in the world in quality."
Wrong. WHO ranks the U.S. number one in health responsiveness, which is what counts. The main reason for the 37th overall rank is the lack of universal insurance coverage.
Another myth: So-called "best practices" would improve health care.
Our myth-busters write: "An analysis from the Ottawa Health Research Institute published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2007 reveals how long it takes for conclusions derived from clinical studies about drugs, devices and procedures to become outdated. Within one year, 15 of 100 recommendations based on the 'best evidence' had to be significantly reversed; within two years, 23 were reversed, and at 5 1/2 years, half were contradicted." Oops.
Read what is wrong with the claims that “Americans only receive 55% of recommended care” and “No government bureaucrat will come between you and your doctor.” Yeah, right.
