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PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter: Health care fact vs. fiction
Editor's Note: PolitiFact.com is a project of the St. Petersburg Times that aims to help you find the truth in politics. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times examine statements by members of Congress, the president, etc. They research their statements and then rate the accuracy on their Truth-O-Meter.
Obama claims Medicare benefits will not be cut under the health care bill
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/17/obama.nh.hc.gi.art.jpg caption="President Obama speaks at a town hall meeting August 11, 2009 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire."]
"I just want to assure [you] we're not talking about cutting Medicare benefits."
-Barack Obama on Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 in a town hall meeting.
The Truth-O-Meter says: HALF TRUE
Read more: Cuts to Medicare? Sort of
Palin claims Obama misled when he said end-of-life counseling is voluntary
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/17/palin.getty.art.jpg caption="Sarah Palin serves the public hot dogs during the annual Governor's Picnic July 26, 2009 at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, Alaska."]
A provision in the health care reform bill for end-of-life counseling for seniors is not "entirely voluntary."
-Sarah Palin on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 in her Facebook page
Truth-O-Meter says: FALSE
Read more: If you don't have to do it, it's voluntary
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ad says health reform plan would mean big tax increases
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/17/chamber.ad.art.jpg caption="TV ad from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce posted on YouTube.com."]
The health care reform plan being proposed in Congress would mean "big tax increases."
-U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 in a TV ad
The Truth-O-Meter says: HALF TRUE
PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter: Political scorecard
Editor's Note: PolitiFact.com is a project of the St. Petersburg Times that aims to help you find the truth in politics. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times examine statements by members of Congress, the president, etc. They research their statements and then rate the accuracy on their Truth-O-Meter.
Paul Krugman claims protests in 2005 weren't as raucous as health care protests
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/10/krugman.paul.gi.art.jpg caption="Dr. Paul Krugman, 2008 Nobel Laureate, speaks at a press conference held by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong on May 22, 2009."]
During the 2005 fight over Social Security, "there were noisy demonstrations — but they were outside the events,” and opponents were “not disruptive — crowds booed lines they didn’t like, but that was about it."
-Paul Krugman on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 in a blog posting.
Truth-O-Meter says: FALSE
Read more: They were raucous in 2005, inside and out
Club for Growth's health care ad campaign is misleading
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/10/club.for.growth.youtube.art.jpg caption="This Club for Growth TV ad posted on YouTube compares the health care reform plan to the system in Britain."]
The health care reform plan would set limits similar to the "socialized" system in Britain, where people are allowed to die if their treatment would cost more than $22,000.
-Club for Growth on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 in a TV ad
Truth-O-Meter says: FALSE
Read more: There's no proposal to put a price on life
Boehner says Democrats' health care plan would lead to taxpayers subsidizing abortions
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/10/boehner.john.getty.art.jpg caption="House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) speaks on Capitol Hill on June 17, 2009 in Washington, DC. "]
The Democrat-backed health care reform plan "will require (Americans) to subsidize abortion with their hard-earned tax dollars."
-John Boehner on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 in an op-ed for National Review
Truth-O-Meter says: FALSE
Read more: Amendment would prohibit use of federal funds for abortions
PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter: Political scorecard
Editor's Note: PolitiFact.com is a project of the St. Petersburg Times that aims to help you find the truth in politics. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times examine statements by members of Congress, the president, etc. They research their statements and then rate the accuracy on their Truth-O-Meter.
E-mail 'analysis' of health bill needs a checkup
It may be the longest chain e-mail we've ever received. A page-by-page analysis of the House health care bill argues that reform will end the health care system as we know it: "Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed! ... Page 42: The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. ... Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free health care services."
Most of what the e-mail says is wrong. In fact, it's a clearinghouse of bad information circulating around the Web about proposed health care changes, so we thought it would be helpful to address a bunch of its claims.
No free health care for illegal immigrants in the health bill
"All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free health care services." – Chain e-mail on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 in a chain e-mail.
Truth-O-Meter says: PANTS ON FIRE
One of its most bizarre claims is the one about free health care for non-citizens, "illegal or not."
We read the bill and its legislative summary, and could find nothing about free health care for anyone, much less non-citizens.
To confirm our examination, we turned to Jennifer Tolbert, an independent health care analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan foundation that studies health care reform. Tolbert has read and analyzed all the major health proposals, including those of the Republicans, and the foundation provides point-by-point analyses of the plans on its Web site.
"No one's provided with free health care. That's ridiculous," she said.
Read more: No free health care for everyone »
Health care exchange is government's way of regulating insurers
"All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange." – Chain e-mail on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 in a chain e-mail.
Truth-O-Meter says: TRUE
To explain this one, we will start with an explanation of the overall bill, which was unveiled July 14, 2009. The bill envisions that everyone will be required to have health insurance. People who get health insurance through work satisfy this requirement right off the bat.
People who don't get insurance through work or other groups will go to the health care exchange; it's designed to help people who have to go off on their own to buy health insurance, and for small businesses with few employees. The reason for the exchange is that the government wants to regulate insurers to make sure that health plans clearly explain what they offer, can't refuse people for pre-existing conditions, and must offer basic levels of service.
Read more: Yes, health insurance companies will have to conform »
Obama claims 14,000 lose health insurance every day
"14,000 Americans . . . lose their health insurance every single day." – Barack Obama on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 in a news conference.
Truth-O-Meter says: MOSTLY TRUE
In his nationally televised news conference on July 22, 2009, President Barack Obama cited a dramatic statistic to emphasize the need for health care reform. He said, “If we don't act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day.”
The White House told us the number came from a report published by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, and authored by researchers James Kvaal and Ben Furnas. A chart in the report was headlined, “14,000 People Became Uninsured Every Day in December and January.”
PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter: Political scorecard
Editor's Note: PolitiFact.com is a project of the St. Petersburg Times that aims to help you find the truth in politics. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times examine statements by members of Congress, the president, etc. They research their statements and then rate the accuracy on their Truth-O-Meter.
At 6-month mark, Obama has long to-do list
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/20/obama.politifact.sixmonth2.art.jpg caption="President Obama after six months: 32 promises kept, 7 broken and 300-plus still to work on – according to PolitiFact.com."]
At the six-month mark of his presidency, Barack Obama has made progress on some of his biggest campaign promises. Of the Top 25 we're tracking with our Obameter, we've rated two as Promise Kept, one as a Compromise and 10 as In the Works. (The rest: one earned a Promise Broken, one Stalled and 10 No Action.)
But when you step back and look at all 515 promises that we're tracking, it's clear that Obama still has a huge to-do list: Of the 515, we've rated 32 Kept, seven Broken and 10 Compromise. A whopping 376 are still rated No Action.
Monday (July 20, 2009) will be six months since Obama took the oath of office. He has wrestled with the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, but as we noted in February, he used the crisis as an opportunity to fullfill many of his campaign promises through the $787 billion economic stimulus bill.
Health care reform bill jolts the Obameter
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/20/obama.healthcare.art.jpg caption="President Barack Obama talks about health care at the White House on July 17, 2009 in Washington, DC."]
We've heard lots of talk about health care reform over the past few months, but this week we got the actual bill to look at. On Tuesday, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced major legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system. The 1,000-plus page bill, called America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, includes most of President Barack Obama's key proposals on health reform.
That kicked off a flurry of activity on our Obameter. We moved 10 of the president's campaign promises from No Action to In the Works. We'll likely find a few more to move as the legislation works its way through the process.
Obameter says: IN THE WORKS
Bennett says stimulus is spending too much on road signs promoting stimulus
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/20/bennett.getty.art.jpg caption="Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT) speaks during a news conference on the economic stimulus package on Capitol Hill January 29, 2009 in Washington, DC."]
"The Obama administration has spent millions of taxpayer dollars for roadside signs to tout the economic stimulus." Robert Bennett on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 in a news release.
The Truth-O-Meter Says: HALF TRUE
PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter: Political scorecard
Editor's Note: PolitiFact.com is a project of the St. Petersburg Times that aims to help you find the truth in politics. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times examine statements by members of Congress, the president, etc. They research their statements and then rate the accuracy on their Truth-O-Meter.
John Boehner claims city uses stimulus money to hire someone to apply for more stimulus money
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/13/boehner.getty.art.jpg caption="U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) pauses as he briefs the media on Capitol Hill October 3, 2008 in Washington, DC."]
"In North Carolina, they used stimulus money to hire one new state worker. His job, apply for more stimulus funds from the taxpayers by the way of the federal government." John Boehner on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 in a Web ad.
The Truth-O-Meter Says: FALSE
Read more: Little Washington, welcome to big Washington
Mitch McConnell's record distorted by Democratic campaign ad
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/13/dnc.tv.ad.art.jpg caption="This TV ad by the Democratic National Committee distorts Senator McConnell's record, according to PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter."]
Mitch McConnell opposed "legislation to create and protect Kentucky jobs . . . help for the unemployed. . . health care for Kentucky's children," and "fair pay for women," according to the Democratic National Committee on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 in a television ad.
The ad from the DNC gives the impression that Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell hates jobs, unemployment compensation, health care for little children and equal pay for women.
The Truth-O-Meter Says: BARELY TRUE
Read more: He doesn't hate puppies either
Barack Obama Campaign Promise No. 517: Negotiate health care reform in public sessions televised on C-SPAN
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/13/obama.chester.getty.art.jpg caption="Then-presidential candidate Barack Obama speaks during a campaign stop at John Tyler Community College August 21, 2008 in Chester, Virginia."]
To achieve health care reform, "I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table. We'll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators. Insurance companies, drug companies - they'll get a seat at the table, they just won't be able to buy every chair. But what we will do is, we'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies. And so, that approach, I think is what is going to allow people to stay involved in this process." Sources: Town hall meeting on Aug. 21, 2008, in Chester, Va.
Obameter says: PROMISE BROKEN
Read more: Obama said he'd televise health reform negotiations on C-SPAN
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