Inside the Fox News lie machine: I fact-checked Sean Hannity on Obamacare

[Coyotl]

Inside the Fox News lie machine: I fact-checked Sean Hannity on Obamacare

UPDATE I re-reported a Fox News segment on Obamacare -- it was appallingly easy to see how it misleads the audience
By Eric Stern - http://www.salon.com/2013/10/18/inside_the_fox_news_lie_machine_i_fact_checked_sean_hannity_on_obamacare/

I happened to turn on the Hannity show on Fox News last Friday evening. “Average Americans are feeling the pain of Obamacare and the healthcare overhaul train wreck,” Hannity announced, “and six of them are here tonight to tell us their stories.” Three married couples were neatly arranged in his studio, the wives seated and the men standing behind them, like game show contestants.

As Hannity called on each of them, the guests recounted their “Obamacare” horror stories: canceled policies, premium hikes, restrictions on the freedom to see a doctor of their choice, financial burdens upon their small businesses and so on.

“These are the stories that the media refuses to cover,” Hannity interjected.

But none of it smelled right to me. Nothing these folks were saying jibed with the basic facts of the Affordable Care Act as I understand them. I understand them fairly well; I have worked as a senior adviser to a governor and helped him deal with the new federal rules. ......

[DonViejo]

1. This is an important news article and deserves the widest exposure possible...

Thanks for posting it here.

[aaaaaa5a]

2. Great Post. Thank you. This needs a greater spotlight. nt

[SoutherDem]

3. I suspected as much.

Hannity is anything but a credible journalist and it is unbelievable how many people believe the crap that pours out of his mouth each night.
But, he isn't alone, I have heard many interviews of people who "Obamacare is ruining their lives". One thing which they all have in common is ignorance, or assumptions without facts. They are judging the ACA without knowing anything about it but what they are hearing on TV on shows like Hannity's.

It seems I am hearing a lot of people who once they really look into the ACA they find out they really are going to do better and as the Salon article noted those who are saying it is a "train wreck" haven't actually checked the exchanges. Also, it seems the "converted" policies (the ones the companies are switching to if the customer does nothing) are going up and I wonder if this is a plan to get the ignorant to pay more.

A few more things; the "choice of doctor" issue is not just for the ACA I have had to change doctors several time in 25 years because my doctor drops my plan or my company changes companies. The "coverage not needed" issue I have always paid for services I most likely would never need, I never heard of being given a list of things I could remove from a policy to save money, maybe some companies offer such but at best I have had a choice of higher premium lower deductible. And, the dreaded "death panels" are not new they have existed for years in the conference rooms of some insurance company where people who are looking at profits more than healthcare.

If the ACA or Obamacare is really so bad why don't the Republicans just sit back and let it go into effect without any opposition then when it fails rush in and save the day, and with office for the next 20 years? Maybe because they don't think it won't work or in fact they know it WILL work.