Paul predicts death of grandmothers under Obama plan
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul, a Bowling Green eye surgeon, assailed President Barack Obama’s proposed health insurance overhaul on The Glenn Beck Show on FOX News Friday.
Among other things, Paul predicted that Obama’s plan would cause the demise of grandmothers, whom the government would decide are too expensive to provide medical treatment. “Some committee is going to decide what is the cost-benefit analysis for grandma,” Paul said.
“Grandma is not just your grandmother; she’s a statistic and we have to decide what is the cost to society to keep her alive,” he said. “And I think she won’t get plugged in. Her ventilator won’t get plugged in if she’s 92-years-old because society may say we don’t have enough money to do that.”
PolitiFact.com, the Pulitzer Prize-winning service of the St. Petersburg Times that fact-checks statements made by politicians and others, has found similar statements by the Club for Growth and Republican Sarah Palin to be “false” and “Pants on Fire” false, respectively.
Here’s Paul’s appearnace:
- John Stamper
About the Author: John Stamper is the accountability editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Monticello, Ky., he has been with the Herald-Leader in a variety of roles since graduating from Western Kentucky University in 2000. Reach him at jstamper@herald-leader.com
phyre | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Uh buoy…another genius.
ct stewart | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
WHERE DO THE REPUBLICANS GET THESE NUT JOBS?! IT’S LIKE PALIN SPAWNED A CLONE.
ErnPro | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Keep calling Paul names all the way to his victory.
kycol | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
What a load of good old Kentucky horse manure. Like Kentucky needs another nut representing it! If he lies to get into office, what do you expecct him to do in office? It has been proven that the “kill granny” myth is just that. The dropped wording which was twisted to come up with that lie was first introduced by a republican Do right-wingers have no requirements orther than winning? Lie! Lie! Lie!
jack river | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Ok, when Rand Paul says that Grandma will not get plugged in, he is correct and you are wrong, to say that it is a pants on fire lie.
The reason that his comment is relevant, is that there are certain things that insurance will not cover. I know of a person with a rare genetic health disease, that is not eligible for care, since here insurance (which is otherwise good health insurance) has an exclusion for it, since the treatment is to expensive and not yet proven. With my insurance (which I chose to have) there are items that they won\’t cover and as a result, I get cheaper premiums. Again, I willingly chose to have that.
Unless underwriting standards are thrown out the window with a government plan, there will either eventually be some cost that the government will not be able to cover, the plan will raise rates to a high level, or other parts of the budget will have to subsidize the plan. This is finance 101.
When the government starts making these underwriting decisions on my behalf (which, they would do, since they represent us) it makes me un-easy, since I don not like the idea of my representatives coming up with things that they will not be able to do to treat people; be it life threatening or not.
David Adams | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
http://www.randpaul2010.com/2009/08/rand-paul-on-health-reform/
Jimmie | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
They quote Tom Daschle directly and you guys call Rand Paul’s comments on death panels a liar?
Paul’s comments about “health care insurance should be treated like term life insurance” is dead on.
Your insults just expose your fear of the truth, and Rand Paul.
yellowdog | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Is there a village somewhere that keeps sending us their idiots? I can’t believe some of the nonsense these people spout, and sadly there are those in our society who believe them.
dk | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Ah, the fear-mongers.
EKdem | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
I read something a few days ago that said the Republican party is in better shape than people though in part because it has been able to field more candidates for office than it thought it could.
No wonder. Look how low their standards are.
Everybody running as Republican is a complete idiot.
Some Guy | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
So Rand Paul is a fan of imaginary conspiracies?
Big surprise.
Tim | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Rand Paul makes perfect sense in the video. Listen to his solutions and he has the right answers.
The issue is not about pulling the plug but allowing the plug to be placed in the 1st place. There is no doubt that Government health care will limit the things you need especially when you get older. Read the bill for yourself and you will see it.
I hate when media twist words around to fit their agenda.
SR71 | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
When you are at the end of your life and need an expensive procedure to prolong the inevitable but can’t have it because of cost, you will not be laughing.
vivienne | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Isn’t anyone going to call “sexism” on all this publicity? All I hear is that “Grandma” is going to be offed; why not Grandpa? This is sexist behavior – - – Grandfathers everyhwere, you guys need to fight for equal opportunity!
daniel | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Want ot see a dentist in Canada- You will line up with a hundred people in person just to get an appointment in the future.. 6 weeks or 2 months. Want a primary Doctor visit, you will be entered into a lottery and may receive a call in 2 weeks or never. This is where national health care will take you in the years to come. It is the frog in the hot pan of water on the stove.
Jerry Johnson, GOP | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
You have to love that a Republican recommended this amendment and then they attempt to “blame” all attempts to fix an absolutely broken system on one person…
When is Bully Williams gone to start his babbling BS too!!!
Richard | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
The Progressive Liberal Socialist Party (use to be known as Democrats)
better take this guy seriously.
Ithink | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Looks like someone else drank the kool-aid. Interesting that this group of exploiting predators keeps forgetting to point out that the current system is letting large numbers of people die every year, including lots of grandmas.
crowngal | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
For those of you who think the Obama plan is soooo scary. Wait until “God forbid” something serious happens to you and you get dropped like a hot potato by your insurance company just because you are too expensive. Does not matter that you have paid them for years. They can and will because they are evil. When it comes to making money and a person’s health, trust me YOU WILL LOSE!
Jim Anderson Stivers | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
It seems the health care industry, if it is to be reshaped, is fine with many as long as it does no cost them any more money. Not a single person can say, at this point, how much the restructure of the health program is going to cost.
And, for anyone to believe the new structure for health care will pull the “plug on grandma” that statement has been proven to be a REPUBLICAN lie. That is why the guy in the tin foil hat wants to spread the word, the lie. This appeals to the FEAR FACTOR and the logic is it will get votes.
Well, it will be a vote getter but fortunately there exist enough voters with the patience and knowledge to wait an see what the plan is about.
At the present time there exist at least three proposals for legislation. None are perfect. The re structure will not be perfect.
If you saw the sound bites and “clips” from Las Angles and the free medical clinics by those professionals giving of their time, it is easy to see a single state example of how many people are without any means of paying the cost of the current health market.
Perhaps you look at these people in Las Angels, most poor and minority, some see them as free loaders? Yet some fail to consider the plight of those that neglect their health and wait for an emergency room treatment.
There is obviously a need for a basic plan! The need of those less fortunate is very obvious, maybe in our own family.
To say this is government controlled health insurance is not correct. It is the government looking for a way to help those in need find an insurance policy that they can pay for. If there were no need then why so many of the less fortunate line up for basic free medical care in California?
Being a senior citizen, I know full well the need for a supplement to cover what Medicare does not. There are several programs available for supplement but these programs are deficient in their application. You must understand clearly the (fine print) before buying and have some idea what is and is not covered. The old story . . . read the fine print. A simple basic plan, in grammar school language would better help those in need to understand the limits of coverage.
Perhaps this is just anger toward the government? IMO that anger does not allow for consideration of those much less fortunate than us.
willing to listen | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Another free thinking American from the Red Party who is afraid to let the American People try to think on their own. After all, he is a physcicain. Maybe he’d have to start using a public golf course instead on an exclusive country club under the new medical plans…
Canuk in KY | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Daniel, where did you get that info about Canadian healthcare? As a Canadian, I can tell you it is pure BS.
As for the current mob of extreme righty republicans, I have never seen such lies and distortion of the truth from any political party.
Jim Anderson Stivers | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Canuk,
It was my opinon CAnuk’s did not like to be called Canuk? Shows how little I know and I have been to Canada.
Don’t be in a hurry. Remember this one?
‘ I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT , UHHH WOMAN!”
Jim Anderson Stivers | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Good point, Kudos, JAS
Interesting that this group of exploiting predators keeps forgetting to point out that the current system is letting large numbers of people die every year, including lots of grandmas.
TRUMP THAT ONE! jas
shriner47 | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Hey, so like where is the objectivity in reporting? I thought Newspapers were in the buisness of reporting the news, not to discredit a position.
If this is what Rand Paul Beleives, He has every right to make his case. Let the PUBLIC decide who is right and who is wrong. Editors Have no business taking the Opinion of one person and injecting the OPINION of another person or organization in to influence the reader. If the paper want’s to make a case for HC Reform, then do a story on one side, then present a equally informative story on the other side and let the people decide what they want.
I would vote for Rand Paul right now based solely on the fact that I Will not be told by the Herald Leader What I need to think about anything. But I have more brains than that.
I will get all the information I need on all sides and the I will be making an educated decision rather than be dooped by the paper.
J. Pick | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Lock up your grannies – the Socialists are coming! They’re gonna air raid nursing homes and bingo parlors. At 5:30 every evening, they’ll send their Death Squads to Golden Corrals around the country and take all the patrons out to the firing line! Why, I heard that they invaded AARP offices and stole their datgum mailing list. Heaven only knows what they’ll do with that. Anthrax mailings? Letter bombs? Danged old Liberal Socialist Sunsabeaches!
I just want everyone to be very wary of how Socialism has crept into your lives over the years. It used to be that we were a true Capitalist nation. Like China. Those were the days. The days before the Center for Disease Control and Medicare. Before the FDA was cracking down on “cleanliness” and “proper refrigeration” and “false drug claims”. Those were the days before those Commies introduced Social Security (which Rand’s daddy wanted to abolish), public universities, Surgeon Generals and farm subsidies. Then they wanted us to remove cancerous materials from our homes and workplaces, put our kids in seat belts, stop smoking on airplanes and write off the interest on our home mortgages. Well, I’ve had enough of this garbage. A vote for Rand Paul is a vote for your Granny! Go get ‘em Red Rand!
Randy Harmon | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Can you hear the cash register for Rand Paul’s campaign ringing up those donations from the health care industry? I thought Paul and Beck were going to have to get a room, they were stroking each other so lovingly during that interview. Of course, I guess it’s easy to do when you’re talking to your clone. Rand Paul is a fruit that fell from the tree during a windstorm, he sure isn’t anything like Ron and that’s a shame.
Jason | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Actually, he’s right. If a 92 year old grandma is sick enough to require a ventilator then her chances of coming off the ventilator are exceedingly low. Once she goes on she will never come off leaving the hard decision of when to “pull the plug” in the hands of her family and doctors. In these circumstances going on the ventilator is inhumane to patients and heart to heart discussion about end of life care should be left to patients and their doctors. It’s the right decision for both patient care and costs. BTW,an eye surgeon is never involved with patients who are that sick.
daniel | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Watch the 20/20 news piece. Over 100 Canadians line up in person, just to get a future date to see a dentist. Two months to see a doctor and in some areas of Canada they enter a lottery to see a primary Doctor..
Cindy Merrill | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
A low income diabetic receives the same SNAP food credit as a normal- non diabetic with the same income- problem is, diabetic food costs more- so which would you prefer: an extra $100 SNAP credit or a $10,000 hospital stay when the same diabetic slips into a Coma? Not ONE of all three versions of the healthcare bill address this issue.
special delivery | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
The republican party leads the Hit Parade of Crazies. I will trust the Democrat party with my Grandmother any day. Unlike the republican party that lead the debate to stop the medicare bill in the 60′s. Medicare, VA benefits, Social Security are all Democrat sponsored legislation.
Dr. Rick | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
I think all you stupid sobs which have commented here will never see a social security check. Your B.S. Government is in charge of MediCare, MediCaid , AmTrack, Social Security, FDA, EPA, Homeland Security, NASA and you think they can run a National Health Care Program???? Ha ha ha, the entire world is LOL. What good is health care when Doogie Howser removes the wrong lung??? Stop voting and stop working and stop paying taxes. America died when Obama Lied. If you want to be socialist set up Putin as the supreme world President.
jim | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
RAND PAUL AND GLENN BECK ARE QUOTING DEMOCRAT TOM DASCHLE YOU MORONS! THERE IS NOTHING IN THEIR STATEMENTS THAT WERE FALSE!
ME | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Rand Paul has not received a dime from the health care industry
Mary | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Does anyone remember that all little grannies AND granpappies all have something called MEDICARE? And under the health care reform Medicare WILL NOT BE TOUCHED. It will work as it always has and my parents had it and it worked great. They were neither ever refused any treatment..even with cancer. The repubs will do or say anything, even use the Canadian health system, to try to drive a wedge in it. Talk to a REAL Canadian and they will tell you that their health care is NOT what is being told. It has worked. But from what I can understand our health care reform will not even be like Canadas anyway. Keep going democrats just as you are doing and you will win one for us that need help so desperately. Our health care at the moment isn’t much anyway with private insurances being what they are. Look at Humana. Now there is one that gives you the Dr. they want you to have & noone ever mentions that.
David Adams | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
A year ago, Barack Obama was telling us he would not raise taxes or sign a bill the people hadn’t had five days to read. He even told us he would cut the deficit and lower the debt. Since an understanding of his honesty about a government takeover of health care depends on which Barack video you believe, it’s a little much to have to listen to his apologists accuse anyone for doubting his motives, methods, or veracity on this critical issue during these difficult times.
Mary | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Very good point Jim!!!!
Jack | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Rand is only pointing out common sense – the government’s new bill will cover many more people and thus increase demand.
The only way to control costs in such a situation is to ration care.
I mean, it’s just common sense.
So – he’s not referring to some conspiracy, he’s just using simple economics.
W. E. Messamore | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
Your fact-check service is mistaken. Sound, basic, and uncontroversial economic principles can easily predict that H.R. 3200 will result in shortages and therefore, require rationing:
http://tinyurl.com/qk3g4u
Empirical arguments substantiate the textbook theory in the U.K. and Canada, where waiting lists are long and the government has to perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine who gets covered for what… leaving “grandma” out in the cold if whatever she needs isn’t considered cost effective to society.
Mike | Aug 15, 2009 | Reply
So many stupid people in one place makes my head hurt.
Oh and there is a real easy way to pay for this healthcare plan. Cut some of that defense spending all of you so called republicans like so much. It would save us a boat load of money.
Paul Gibson | Aug 16, 2009 | Reply
Hey, give Rand a break. He’s just pandering to his base; you know the tin foil hat set! Just another neo-con idiot.
Shirley | Aug 16, 2009 | Reply
OOPs, his ignorance is showing! I am 75 and I’m not worried about it. There are things my present healthcare won’t cover…and if I am 92 and someone wants to plug me up just to make money like they do now, I will come back and haunt them!!!
When people are old and sick and death is eminent, they make all the money they can NOW, not because they care!
ClockWork | Aug 16, 2009 | Reply
Stamper, did you catch the odds he gave on the dead grandmas? He didn’t “predict” anything, he just stated a possible outcome if particular language in a particular bill stays in the bill.
Randy Harmon | Aug 16, 2009 | Reply
Yet…but give it time, Monday is coming. LOL
GoBacktoCanadaLoser | Aug 17, 2009 | Reply
Go back to Canada, and on your way out of OUR country, read the headlines about your healthcare system IMPLODING. What a bunch of leftest lackeys these obamabots are.
Go outside your university campus and see if you can find an immigrant from the east block. See how much they want socialist medicine. If you want stupid comments, ask a student or a democrat.
500 BILLION DOLLAR CUT | Aug 17, 2009 | Reply
that is how much Obama is cutting from Medicare to fund Obamacare. Students and illegal aliens to the front of the line, seniors your health care is “shovel ready” – a grave. You are just not cost effective. Obama’s got your back – and he’s sticking a knife in it.
Social Security Failure | Aug 17, 2009 | Reply
social security, put in place by a democrat FDR, is a ponzi scheme that has run its’ course. Over 50% of people sign up to take social security payments as soon as eligible – rather than wait for full benefits – because they know that it will be bankrupt in 3 more years. Democrats stole all the money you put in for 50 years to fund health care for the lazy and illegal. Medicare is right behind it. So much for the “great social programs” by the Progressive dummicrats.
Interesting | Aug 17, 2009 | Reply
Hey Mike, national defense is one of the few things the federal government is empowered to do by the constitution. I don’t see universal health care in there.
And Sarah Palin is right. What do you think this “end of life counseling” is really all about? It’s just a Democrat’s way of saying “death panel.” I’m no Paul fan but he’s right on about this.
Robert Brom | Aug 20, 2009 | Reply
This is a misrepresentation of Rand Paul’s statement. He stated that that Obama is correct in that there will be no Death Panels ordering that plugs be pulled. What happens instead is far more subtle, it will be the same method that is currently used by my own government provided health care system in the U.S. military. The military system decides IN ADVANCE what life-prolonging treatments it considers not cost beneficial – and those treatments are NOT OFFERED IN THE FIRST PLACE. We need reporters, not gov’t PR hacks.
Robert Brom | Aug 20, 2009 | Reply
phyre:
I reasonably presume that you are referring to the reporter.
Robert Brom | Aug 20, 2009 | Reply
Canuk in KY: Being from Canada does not make you an expert on the Canadian healthcare system any more than I am an expert on my own insurance coverage. The objections about Canadian coverage has to do with extreme or state-of-the-art health care interventions that one may need, not with routine general practice. Yes it is nice to walk into a clinic for a flu shot and not worry about dollar one – but there is a tremendous cost at the back end for that illusion. I will share the results of my tremendous amount of research into the Canadian healthcare system using only Canadian government information sources upon request. Too much to publish here, but it is not hard for you to do your own research. Quite the eye-opener, the types of procedures subject to waiting lists was far greater than even I expected.
Robert in DC
Robert Brom | Aug 20, 2009 | Reply
yellowdog: The ‘village’ is called Journalism school. You shouldn’t call the reporter an idiot though, just likely young and a victim of groupthink.
B-sake | Aug 20, 2009 | Reply
Rand paul is the furthest thing away from a neo-con.
Scott K | Sep 23, 2009 | Reply
Way to take this out of context. First of all, Rand Paul hasn’t shown up on PolitiFact.com, so you’re lying too. Secondly he isn’t talking about current legislation so much as the direction that bureaucratic price imposition and controls are headed. If you want to twist words in a semantics battle, President Obama also says that no new taxes will be levied even though the proposed bill declares the no coverage penalty to be a tax collected by the IRS.
Either government will bankrupt itself paying for whatever care anyone asks for (devaluing the dollar and decreasing everyone’s standard of living, which the Fed is already doing), or it will need to ration health care.
Dr. Paul is simply promulgating the viewpoint that allowing free market forces to actually affect care will drive down the costs of care. Few serious economists can really argue with the moral hazards presented when insurers, care givers and patients raid the government for their share of the pork, because they don’t have to bear the true costs.
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puma soldes | Mar 22, 2011 | Reply
Either government will bankrupt itself paying for whatever care anyone asks for (devaluing the dollar and decreasing everyone’s standard of living,