A Utah judge recently threw out Amendment D because it wasn’t transparent, accurate, nor with complete disclosure. It is too bad a claim about Rep. Blake Moore’s helping seniors with Medicare and with drug costs couldn’t be put before a judge to scrutinize the claims.
First was the mailer asking me to “urge him to keep fighting for affordable drug coverage by opposing HR4895.” Imagine my surprise that HR4895 is entitled “Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act.” It would expand the number of drugs subject to Medicare — and private — price negotiations, something that is projected to save Medicare Part D enrollees $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs, would have saved Medicare $6 billion last year, and which is what allows the VA to buy drugs at prices 54% cheaper. I should oppose that?
Next was the ad in The Trib asking me to join him in support of HR9394, The HOPE Act, which creates tax-exempt accounts to pay for qualified out of pocket health care costs, e.g. prescriptions. You don’t have to be an economist to realize that this would simply pass on some of the private cost to the general taxpayer, that it would primarily benefit the wealthy with big tax bills, and that it would likely increase the demand for drugs and push their prices, and drug company profits, higher. This is helping “hardworking Americans”? Hardly.
Finally, we get the full page Trib ad from “Commitment to Seniors” to take action to “End the Biden-Harris Raid on Medicare.” What is that about? It is estimated that between 2023 and 2031, Medicare will buy the same amount of drugs at a saving of $260 billion. This will free up that amount of government income that can be used for other goals, such as clean energy. This is hardly a “raid on Medicare.”
I am urged to “Thank Rep. Blake Moore for working to Protect (my) Medicare.” That’s doublespeak. What is really afoot here may be seen in the “Commitment to Seniors” link the ad provided. It states: “There are far better free-market solutions to health care costs…” So they want to privatize Medicare; their “health care concept” is to kill Medicare in order to save it. Such doublespeak is beginning to appear endemic to Utah politicians. We should follow the judge and not stand for it.
Ken Jameson, Salt Lake City
Clarification • Nov. 12, 9 p.m.: Rep. Blake Moore’s office says the referenced flyer and ad were created by Seniors4BetterCare without any coordination from their office.
