Missouri Democratic Party

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Blunt Uses Fictional Health Care Facts (Again) Filed on August 18, 2009

For Immediate Release: August 17, 2009

Contact: Ryan Hobart (573) 636-5241 Ext. 125

Blunt Uses Fictional Health Care Facts (Again)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Scolds Blunt for bad Facts

Jefferson City, Mo – Congressman Roy Blunt was called out once again for citing false statistics and facts when talking with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board.

Fortunately, the editorial debunked much of the false information Blunt provided:

"I'm 59," Mr. Blunt said last week during a meeting with Post-Dispatch
reporters and editors. "In either Canada or Great Britain, if I broke my hip, I
couldn't get it replaced."

We fact-checked that. At least 63 percent of hip replacements performed in
Canada last year and two-thirds of those done in England were on patients age
65 or older. More than 1,200 in Canada were done on people older than 85.

Mr. Blunt was asked how long an uninsured American would wait for
a hip replacement.

"If they go to the emergency room, I think they can get that done," he said.
Emergency rooms don't do hip replacements, which require both hospital care and
weeks of rehabilitation. They do emergency surgery, necessary to save a life.

(http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/7160467FE1FCECE28625761300008B36?OpenDocument)

“It is extremely irresponsible for Congressman Blunt to carelessly recite false facts and statistics when talking about health care, and it shows a definite lack of leadership on this important issue,” said Democratic Party Executive Director Brian Zuzenak. “To date, Congressman Blunt’s only idea for health insurance reform is to send the uninsured to the emergency room.”

Congressman Blunt was called out for similar statements during a visit to the Kansas City Star editorial board.

One of the Star’s reader advisory board members wrote a column refuting some of Blunts claims:

One of the Congressman's statements was a bold assertion that doctors find dealing with Medicare as difficult as dealing with insurance companies. I stated from firsthand experience as a psychologist in private practice that this is not my opinion. To his credit, Mr. Blunt acknowledged that I may have more direct understanding of the Medicare and insurance company billing process than he does, and by extension that my opinion is my opinion.

(http://voices.kansascity.com/node/4907)

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