Much ado about chickens

So a blogger for the Washington Post has picked up a video by Democratic Representative Ben Chandler where he is talking to a constituent and when she says that once upon a time when you went to the doctor you paid for the visit out of pocket, and Chandler nods his agreement, saying,

"When you didn't have money, you gave him a chicken. You could barter if you didn't have enough money."

The blogger in question trumpets this as a Democrat suggesting "chickens for checkups," a term made famous after Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden suggested people who couldn't pay for health care could barter for it; when pressed on the issue, she said 

"Let's change the system and talk about what the possibilities are. I'm telling you that this works. You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days, our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor. They would say I'll paint your house."

Now, it's pretty clear to see that the two comments are totally different. Chandler is making an historical reference. In Lowden's case, while she was making an historical reference, she was suggesting that such a barter system would still work. The two quotes are not the same at all.