Defeat the Medicare Lie Easily...with Groceries!

[SunsetDreams]

The analogy I've used to dispel the Medicare lie with family, friends, and on Facebook with great results so far is this:

"If my husband had been spending an average of $1,000 a month on groceries, but then started using the sale flyers and coupons to buy the same groceries for $800, how would you describe the difference? Did he ‘steal’ $200 from our grocery budget? Or did he ‘save’ $200?"

(Right there, the light bulb goes on.)

I continue: “Keep in mind, we’re still buying and eating the same food, but the store and the food & beverage industry are getting a little bit less. They’re okay with that, though, because the sales and coupons draw new customers. In the same way, in health care terms, Medicare recipients are still getting the same coverage as before (even better coverage—more on that in a sec) but the hospitals and insurers are getting paid a little bit less. But they’re okay with that because of the huge influx of new patients entering the health care system through Obamacare.

“Now you can see how [idiotic/ridiculous/devious/effed up] the Romney/Ryan Medicare lie really is."

I then go on to explain that the $200 we saved on groceries can now be spent on food "extras," like going out to dinner several times or buying more fresh produce. That's like President Obama using the Medicare savings to close the prescription drug donut hole and allow seniors access to free preventive care, cancer screenings, etc. through Obamacare. (Not a perfect comparison, of course, because seniors being able to afford medication matters way more than going out to dinner.)

Compare this to Romney/Ryan who would use the same flyers and coupons to save the same exact $200, but instead of using the savings on food extras for our family (or, heck, even moving it out of our food budget to pay down family debt), they would send it to my rich uncle so he could stash it overseas.

So there you have it. Simple. Everyone understands groceries!

Once people get it, they’re irritated or even angry at Romney/Ryan for being so deceptive. It's given me an "in" to bring up the welfare lie. And it seems like revealing the cynicism of the Medicare lie might help inoculate people from other blatant lies.

I keep reminding my family and friends to think of this Medicare lie every time they hear something that sounds awful--in other words, pretty much every time Romney or Ryan opens his mouth--and to remember how easily Ryan feigned disappointment and affront while lying through his teeth about improvements and savings in Medicare. Once people understand these candidates' propensity to lie, every claim will be subject to skepticism and scrutiny.

That should have Romney/Ryan unnerved: If the truth breaks through, we win.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/01/1126014/-Defeat-the-Medicare-Lie-Easily-with-Groceries


Very clever, I like it!

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[Scuba]

1. Terrific. Also ask if they would want the fraud and waste reinstated?

[freshwest]

2. They could ask Rick Scott how to commit Medicare fraud, too.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Actually, best not to frame it that way.

If you mention fraud and waste in the same sentence as Medicare, then that is the association. Link fraud and waste to commercial health insurance. Say things like "the uninsured and uninsurable are preyed upon by high medical costs with attendant fraud and waste, which raises prices for everyone".

[Cha]

9. Exactly!!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Yes. It's an example of using language to frame issues. Light bulb goes on because of framing.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Medicare is a positive. Frame it as Obama fixed ...

Medicare is a positive. Frame it as "Romneycare was half an idea. Obama fixed it all. Now the Republicans want to break it again and replace it with Ryancare." That associates Romneycare and Ryancare with "broken".

[Whisp]

6. this is swell!

thanks so much.

[RVN VET]

7. But can it be tweaked just a tiny bit?

Ryan and Romney aren't "using the same flyers and coupons." They're just yanking $200 out of your food budget, leaving you with $800. Maybe you'll find coupons and flyers -- but they don't care whether you do or not. Important to them is the money they get to give to your rich uncle.

But you've created a perfect answer to the bull crap that's being fed to the low information voters who think the GOP is the answer.

[BrainMann1]

8. Nice

[xtraxritical]

10. Kicked and recommended.

[Dont call me Shirley]

11. Although eating is truly more important than taking medication.

If you were only taking medication and not eating your body would die from starvation or become so toxic from living off meds that one would perish or a mixture of both. Avoid meds, eat healthy.

[identify]

12. most impressive!

This is how you get people to understand these types of concepts.

[Myrina]

13. I must be stupid

... because I see your argument as in support of the R/R "voucher" program - instead of being covered for $1000 worth of health care, folks will get the "coupOns" which may or may not cover the total cost of their expenses.

Can someone 'splain how I'm misunderstanding this?

Thanks ~

[riderinthestorm]

17. Romney/Ryan want to permanently set your food budget at $800.

And even though food prices will rise, or the "cheap" grocery store goes out of business and you are forced to shop at Whole Paycheck, or you have to go on a special diet that requires you to eat more of a certain thing that isn't covered under your "coupons", you never get any more money to eat.

Ever.

[liberalla]

14. EXCELLENT! Thank you!

I'll remember this and I'm sure I'll use it.

Thanks again.

[uponit7771]

15. +1 a cut in expenses is NOT a cut in benefits!!!

[riderinthestorm]

16. K&R nt

[riderinthestorm]

18. I just really like this thread so I'll kick for the evening crowd nt