There has been a lot of talk the past few weeks about the false possibility of health care rationing in the current storm of discussions surrounding President Obama's health care reform plan, as well as options put forth by Congressional Democrats such as Senator Max Baucus.
While rationing may be a popular topic - particularly among the conservative and right leaning blogosphere, it is, at its core, a health care myth. Unlike the health care debate in 1994, where Harry and Louise were lamenting government rationing on behalf of the insurance companies, rationing has no place in current health care reform bills.
According to the American Medical Association, "The health reform plans being debated in Congress ensure that health care decisions will be made by you and your doctor - no one else."
Leading newspapers such as The Washington Post and USA Today are also working to dispel the rationing myth by dissecting the issue at the ground level and discussing how health care reform will prevent rationing - not lead to it.
Health Action Now! AARP's health care reform campaign specifically states "Health reform isn't about rationing; it's about giving people the peace of mind of knowing that they will be able to keep their doctors and that they will always have a choice of affordable health plans."
Jumping on the myth bandwagon doesn't help anyone decide if they should support or oppose current health care reform bills. What it does do is encourage false information, fruitless discussions, and, overall, more confusion on what is already a confusing topic. This nation has grown up using debate and democracy as cornerstones for "getting the job done" but with people slinging mud - from both sides of the political spectrum - and creating chatter that isn't true, it only threatens to take us further away from our goal of affordable, quality care for all Americans.
