Column: Palin speech omits words like ‘disability,’ ‘Medicaid’
Monday, October 27th, 2008Harold Pollack, writing in huffingtonpost.com, says Sarah Palin’s “serious policy speech” on disabilities had some “jaw-dropping” omissions.
He searched the text posted on the campaign website, and found that Palin neglected to talk about health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, SSI and SCHIP. She didn’t consider what happens to “special needs kids” when they become adults. She didn’t even use the word “disability.”
He says the McCain-Palin plan offers “nothing” to help families with very serious needs. For example, he says, their health plan permits insurers to continue discriminating against people with chronic illnesses and disabilities — the classic people with “preexisting conditions” that insurers want to avoid. It also erodes the employer-paid health care plan that significantly protects people with costly health problems. An excerpt:

