How to Set Up a Counterargument in Your Rebuttal Section (The Templates)
Some of my critics will dismiss my claim that . . . but they are in error when we look closely at . . .
Some readers will 0bject to my argument that . . . However, their disagreement is misguided when we consider that . . .
Some opponents will be hostile to my claim that . . . However, their hostility is unfounded when we examine . . .
TR Reid at the Peterson Institute
Many of these questions can be used in the rebuttal section of your essay.
One. Is Obamacare universal care?
No, because under Obamacare 6-8% still won’t be covered. That’s 20 million who will be without health insurance. This will result in “cost shifts,” which will raise costs and defeat the purpose of health reform. Additionally, Obamacare is not a unified system; it’s still a hodgepodge or patchwork and this too will keep costs higher than they should be.
Two. Can the French government manage anything efficiently?
Yes and far better than the US. In France medical administrative costs are 4.8%; in contrast, the US has 18-22% administrative costs.
Three. Yes, US citizens pay more for drugs (three times as much as in Europe and Japan), but these higher prices fund our superior medical research. How do you respond to that?
Reid answers that in fact other countries are doing just as rigorous research and making innovations that help the world: Britain invented Viagra; France invented state-of-the-art hip and joint replacements.
Four. But, relating to the question above, European and Japanese research is subsidized by the US citizens’ paying higher prices for their drugs. Is this true?
Reid says yes it’s true and the US should pay lower prices and make European and other countries pay more for their research.
Five. Which universal model is best for America?
The Bismarck model, especially as it’s used in Japan, because they keep costs down. In Japan, average hospital visits a year are 15; in America it’s 4.8.
Six. But in Japan those low consumer prices generate excess demand.
TR Reid concedes this point. Japan should charge more. GDP health costs in Japan should go up from 8 to 9% and he adds, “America would love to have a health cost GDP of 9%.” Why? Because we’re saddled with an 18% GDP for health costs, the highest in the world.
Seven. But the Japanese system is not sustainable when we consider hospitals can’t pay their bills or pay doctors enough or hire enough nurses. Also price controls lead to shortages and blackmarkets.
TR Reid concedes all of these problems but says Japan simply needs to go from 8 to 9% GDP to fix this problem.
Eight. Reid points out that the US is the only country that pays insurance underwriters to deny coverage and deny applicants and then he quotes Paul Krugman: “It would be cheaper for insurance companies to eliminate these underwriter positions and simply allow all claims and applicants.” In other words, it’s cheaper to be nice.
Nine. “If you’re really sick, you want to be in America.” That proves that America has the best healthcare in the world.
Reid’s response: Yes, it’s the best healthcare for the rich and those who can afford their insurance (which can be taken away at any time). US healthcare doesn’t serve everyone evidencing an immoral paradox that needs to be changed.
Ten. “We’ll lose high-end medical care if we go universal.”
No other country that’s gone universal has suffered a decline.
Eleven. “All of your analysis is based on rich countries. Does it apply to the poor countries, which are 80% of the world?”
“I was looking for models to fix the US system. I never claimed to be trying to do anything else.”
“Pay or die” model in those 150 poor countries is not a model for us.”
Ten Logical Fallacies in Debate Regarding Politics and Public Policy
Forbes Accuses Obama of Making Fallacies in Pushing His Health Care Program
Daily Kos points out how The Healing of America refutes the Myths about Overseas Health Care Systems
Review Pros and Cons of Universal Health Care Reform
Lexicon
1. Egalitarianism: equality for all people, no outliers, no extremes. We see this mentality in Canada and this mentality informs their health care system.
2. Canada is not a utopia: long waits and doctor shortages undermine the system but the Canadians still love their health care system more than any government program.
3. America's Myth of Rugged Self-Reliance Vs. Protect Humans from a Free Fall of Cruelty: This myth feeds the Out of Pocket system.
4. Straw Man Fallacy 1: To claim that Reid is painting utopian pictures of overseas health care systems. He is not. He is pointing out their flaws. However flawed, these other countries are morally superior to the US in that they don't like to leave people behind. For a variety of reasons, America doesn't care.
5. Straw Man Fallacy 2: To claim Reid is arguing that we can make an easy transition to a universal health care system (164). Reform is tough but can be done as we have seen in Taiwan and Switzerland.
6. Learned helplessness (164): Americans have seen so many failures to reform our health care, including Clinton and a currently struggling Obama, that we've given up, thrown in the towel, come to the conclusion that "nothing can be done."
7. Resigning to the status quo: giving up and saying "things must stay the same because nothing ever changes."
8. Hope in a Chinese saying (169): "To find your way in the fog, follow the tracks of the oxcart ahead of you." Reid's thesis is that we must do this, following overseas countries' health plans. Taiwan did this, following the Canadian model. Soon Taiwan enjoyed higher life expectancy and higher quality of life (174).
9. Ethical Obligation Principle (183): Health care is a fundamental right for everyone. Clinton made economic arguments (183), showing that America wasn't in the mood for moral appeals. Obama started with economic appeals but in 2010 he changed to ethical and moral ones.
10. Micro and Macro approach: We can look at the effects of universal health care, or not, on the individual, micro, also called Medical Model; or we can approach on a larger society level, macro, also called the Public Health Model (186). The latter deals with prevention and helps stop the spreading of disease. Smoking and obesity are discouraged, for example, in huge public campaigns.
11. America's sin of not providing pre- and post-natal care (202).
Review Questions
What liability results from “free” health care?
People tend to use a lot of care. Long lines are the dreaded result (115).
American opponents of universal health care use the above even though Britain outscores America in every health category.
How is China moving in the opposite of most rich countries in the realm of health care?
See pages 152 and 153
China, like America, is a rich nation that places burden of medical care on the consumer and like America has horrible health care ratings.
As China has gotten richer, its health care has gotten worse for average citizens. Rich citizens get good health care; the rest do not.
What is the most compelling reason for changing the American health care system?
It’s a moral imperative.
Also, the current system is a threat to our economy.
Why do Americans and politicians show a lack of will toward changing the system?
See pages 164 and 165.
We lose moral focus. We see our failed attempts. We see Democrats and Republicans fighting rather than trying to come up with solutions. We feel helpless in spite of every other developed country doing it. We’re full of excuses.
Perhaps Americans don’t see health care as a right as in other nations (215).
Perhaps Americans see health care as “an entitlement for the lazy” that the rich pay for. This is brainwashing according to Reid.
But in fact 85% of Americans when polled believe universal coverage is a right (220).
Too many Americans have been brainwashed into believing that anyone can be treated in America. As GW Bush said, “You just go to the emergency room.” But this is wrong. Many are turned away or wait so long they die (220).
We’re shortsighted. We don’t pay for prevention. We have no pre- or post-natal care like other industrial countries (203).
We refuse to follow the Chinese saying, “To find your way in the fog, follow the tracks of the oxcart ahead of you” (169).
We so far have given in to commercial interests and have not made a priority, as other nations have, to make the moral and ethical imperatives for universal health care the leading force (183).
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