FACT CHECK: Obama's health care claims adrift?

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By CALVIN WOODWARD and JIM KUHNHENN

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's assertion Wednesday that government will stay out of health care decisions in an overhauled system is hard to square with the proposals coming out of Congress and with his own rhetoric.

Even now, nearly half the costs of health care in the U.S. are paid for by government at all levels. Federal authority would only grow under any proposal in play.


President Barack Obama responds to questions during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)


A look at some of Obama's claims in his prime-time news conference:

OBAMA: "We already have rough agreement" on some aspects of what a health care overhaul should involve, and one is: "It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it."

THE FACTS: In House legislation, a commission appointed by the government would determine what is and isn't covered by insurance plans offered in a new purchasing pool, including a plan sponsored by the government. The bill also holds out the possibility that, over time, those standards could be imposed on all private insurance plans, not just the ones in the pool.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090723/D99JR4300.html

---

Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.

[rusty charly]

1. Did AP ever have a fact check written up and ready

2 minutes after Bush ever said anything?

[medeak]

2. damn good point n/t

[Robb]

8. No, these are relatively new for AP.

And not too strong a product, either.

[MichiganVote]

3. Regardless of where the START line is, this is a process that will be w/o end.

Last year's news was that we are going to go broke from Medicare or Social Security. And so on and so forth....the insurance companies will fight all of it, all of the time, administration by administration.

[Iowa]

4. We now have profit-making machines standing between us and our physicians.

I'm not too concerned about the government playing a role... Medicare has worked just fine.

[rusty charly]

5. You'd that meme would've been

killed off by now. There's been too many stories lately of insurance companies coming between patients and their doctors. Not to mention "Sicko."

[Mr. Sparkle]

6. "Even now, nearly half the costs of health care in the U.S"

wow , i never heard of that before.

And yet the insurance make billions at our expense, this does not sound right.

[Psephos]

10. Think about how much the government makes, too

Everyone involved in government health care makes a good salary and gold-plated benefits...their first incentive is to protect their jobs, expand their domain, and increase their staff and resources.

It's profit, but it's measured more in power than in dollars. I don't see much difference. Money is a tool used to gain power, which is always the real goal.

My position is do whatever can be done to decentralize power, whether it's private or governmental. Concentrated power leads invariably to abuse, waste, and manipulation.

[Budgies Revenge]

7. I'm not really sure

how the second sentence in this paragraph supports the claim of the first one:

"Indeed, Obama went on to lay out other principles of reform that plainly show the government making key decisions in health care. He said insurance companies would be barred from dropping coverage when someone gets too sick, limits would be set on out-of-pocket expenses, and preventive care such as checkups and mammograms would be covered."

Doctors, as far as I know, don't refuse to treat you if you get too sick--But insurance companies can and do sometimes. Obama didn't vow to keep the government out of the relationship between insurance companies and their customers--He vowed to keep the government out of the relationship between you and your doctor. Am I missing something here?


edit for punctuation

[rusty charly]

9. Right.

You can get any treatment you want. Whether your insurance, that has a sizable chuck of your weekly paycheck, will pay for it is another story.

[berni_mccoy]

11. The AP is good at writing OpEd pieces against Obama and making them seem like facts.

[Lindsey]

12. The AP definitely makes them look like facts but they aren't n/t

[Patchuli]

13. I don't care if it is the AP

That's their asshole opinion and not LBN. It may be LB assholedness, but not news...Right wing spin at it again!

[keopeli]

14. Alert - not LBN (no offense to OP) There's not a drop of 'news' in this article

conjecture, contortions, distortions, and opinions, yes. but 'news, not at all.

[Omaha Steve]

15. No offense taken

[Enthusiast]

18. Omaha Steve, it's a hit piece.

Just another one.

[Eric68601]

16. I have a question if someone can answer

I apologize if I am derailing a topic or if I put this in the wrong section, but I'm new and can't create a seperate post about it, but anyways, I was wondering if someone could help debunk this copy and paste BS about HR 3200
_________________________________________________________________________

Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Govt will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!

Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benes u get

Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill - YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!!!

Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC Benefits 4 you. U have no choice!

PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill - HC will be provided 2 ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise
Pg 58HC Bill - Govt will have real-time access 2 individs finances & a National ID Healthcard will b issued!

Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts 4 elect. funds transfer

PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan 4 retirees and their families in Unions & community orgs (ACORN).

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control.

PG 84 Sec 203 HC bill - Govt mandates ALL benefit pkgs 4 priv. HC plans in the Exchange

PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration ur Healthcare!

PG 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill - Govt mandates linguistic approp svcs. Example - Translation 4 illegal aliens

Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps 2 sign up indiv. for Govt HC plan

PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans. #AARP members - U Health care WILL b rationed

-PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill - Medicaid Eligible Indiv. will b automat.enrolled in Medicaid. No choice

pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt Monop

pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill - Doctors/ #AMA - The Govt will tell YOU what u can make.

Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into pub opt plan. NO CHOICE

Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay 4 HC 4 part time employees AND their families.

Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Emplyr w payroll 400k & above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll

pg 150 Lines 9-13 Biz w payroll btw 251k & 400k who doesnt prov. pub. opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll

Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesnt have acceptable HC accrdng 2 Govt will be taxed 2.5% of inc

Pg 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from indiv. taxes. (Americans will pay)

Pg 195 HC Bill -officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access 2 ALL Americans finan/pers recs

PG 203 Line 14-15 HC - "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax" Yes, it says that

Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Govt will reduce physician svcs 4 Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected

Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill - Doctors, doesnt matter what specialty u have, you'll all be paid the same

PG 253 Line 10-18 Govt sets value of Dr's time, prof judg, etc. Literally value of humans.

PG 265 Sec 1131Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries

PG 268 Sec 1141 Fed Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs

PG 272 SEC. 1145. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to
rationing!

Page 280 Sec 1151 The Govt will penalize hospitals 4 what Govt deems preventable readmissions.

Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Drs, treat a patient during initial admiss that results in a readmiss-Govt will penalize u.

Pg 317 L 13-20 OMG!! PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells Drs. what/how much they can own.

Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand

pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have oppt to apply for exception BUT community input required. Can u say ACORN?!!

Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 - Govt mandates estab. of outcome based measures. HC the way they want. Rationing

Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Govt has authority 2 disqual Medicare Adv Plans, HMOs, etc. Forcing peeps in2 Govt plan

Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs ppl! WTF. My sis has down syndrome!!

Pg 379 Sec 1191 Govt creates more bureaucracy - Telehealth Advisory Cmtte. Can u say HC by phone?

PG 425 Lines 4-12 Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think Senior Citizens end of life

Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of atty. Mandatory!

PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Govt provides apprvd list of end of life resources, guiding u in death

PG 427 Lines 15-24 Govt mandates program 4 orders 4 end of life. The Govt has a say in how ur life ends

Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An "adv. care planning consult" will b used frequently as patients health deteriorates

PG 429 Lines 10-12 "adv. care consultation" may incl an ORDER 4 end of life plans. AN ORDER from GOV

Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.

PG 430 Lines 11-15 The Govt will decide what level of treatment u will have at end of life

Pg 469 - Community Based Home Medical Services=Non profit orgs. Hello, ACORN Medical Svcs here!!?

Page 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORG. 1 monthly payment 2 a community-based org. Like ACORN?

PG 489 Sec 1308 The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which means they will insert Govt in2 ur marriage

Pg 494-498 Govt will cover Mental Health Svcs including defining, creating, rationing those svcs

[iscooterliberally]

17. I think I found something that will help

I was on the Daily Kos, and they took care of this. I'm getting hammered with this crap too. Here's the link:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/7/15516/00842

[Enthusiast]

19. Can't recognize insurance industry

propaganda?