It's a law of politics--for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. With support mounting for some form of health reform that includes government intervention, a conservative group is mounting a $1 million television ad campaign asking Congress not to enact a government-run health plan along the lines of Britain and Canada.
The ads include doctors from those countries arguing that their healthcare plans not only cut down choices, but have actually killed people who were waiting for care in a clogged system.
The ads are backed by a group chaired by Rick Scott, former head of the HCA hospital chain and current chairman of walk-in clinic chain Solantic LLC. His organization will spend at least $20 million on the anti-government-healthcare effort, including $5 million of Scott's own money.
What the Wall Street Journal doesn't mention in its coverage is that $1 million or even $20 million is chickenfeed as national campaign budgets go. If folks opposed to a more centrally-run health system can't come up with more support than that, it strongly suggests that big reforms like these have a much better chance than they have in the past.
To learn more about the campaign:
- read this Jacksonville Business Journal piece