http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/cash-for-clunkers/
Cash for Clunkers
August 10, 2009
Q: Fox News' Glenn Beck said that the government will get complete access to your computer and all of your files when you log on to Cars.gov for the Cash for Clunkers program. Is there any truth to this?
A: This claim is false. Beck quoted from a security message on the site for dealers, not the site for the general public.
FULL ANSWER
We've received many inquiries about this claim, which stems from a July 31 episode of Glenn Beck's show on Fox News. He had invited Fox News anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle onto his show to talk about the Consumer Assistance Recycle and Save Act of 2009, more commonly known as the "Cash for Clunkers" program. The program gives consumers vouchers of up to $4,500 dollars in exchange for their old "clunker" cars. The vouchers go toward the purchase of new, more fuel efficient cars. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...nisters-bad-facts-again/
CPR Administers Bad Facts, Again
The group says premiums could nearly double for those who buy their own insurance. Experts we consulted disagree.
August 3, 2009
Summary
The latest ad from the group Conservatives for Patients' Rights claims that "new rules could hike your health insurance premiums 95 percent." That's misleading.
• The claim in the ad refers to only 5 percent of Americans who have health insurance - those who buy it on their own.
• The claim comes from an analysis by a group that advocates for insurance carriers that sell policies in the individual market, among other areas.
• That analysis also doesn't take into consideration several elements of leading congressional legislation that other experts say will keep premium costs down - and in fact, lower premiums for some. Other independent studies show premium costs decreasing on average for Americans that currently have health coverage.
• It's not true that any of the health care overhaul measures that have been approved by committees in Congress would add "a trillion to the federal deficit," as the ad says. The Senate bill would add roughly $597 billion over 10 years, and the House bill that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee in mid-July would add a much smaller $239 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Analysis
We've written about two previous misleading ads from the group Conservatives for Patients' Rights, whose TV spots argue against health care overhaul efforts that are moving through Congress. This ad puts forth a new claim, saying that "new rules could hike your health insurance premiums 95 percent." That's a startling statement. But it's contradicted by other experts that find premiums would actually go down under the leading proposals in Congress. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...false-euthanasia-claims/
False Euthanasia Claims
The claim that the House health care bill pushes suicide is nonsense.
July 29, 2009
Summary
On former Sen. Fred Thompson's radio show, former lieutenant governor of New York Betsy McCaughey said that the House's proposed health care bill contained a provision that would institute mandatory counseling sessions telling seniors how "to do what's in society's best interest … and cut your life short." House Minority Leader John Boehner made a slightly more measured statement, warning that the same provision "may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia if enacted into law."
In truth, that section of the bill would require Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling sessions helping seniors to plan for end-of-life medical care, including designating a health care proxy, choosing a hospice and making decisions about life-sustaining treatment. It would not require doctors to counsel that their patients refuse medical intervention.
Analysis
Our inboxes have exploded recently with worried queries from readers who have heard that the House's proposed health care bill, H.R. 3200, contains a provision that would require that ailing seniors be pressed to consider suicide in order to save the taxpayers money on Medicare. Most messages mention that this clause appears on page 425 of the legislation. A sample e-mail forward:
Chain e-mail: On Page 425 of Obama's health care bill, the Federal Government will require EVERYONE who is on Social Security to undergo a counseling session every 5 years with the objective being that they will explain to them just how to end their own life earlier. Yes…They are going to push SUICIDE to cut medicare spending!!!
Page 425 does deal with counseling sessions for seniors, but it is far from recommending a "Logan's Run" approach to Medicare spending. In fact, it requires Medicare to cover counseling sessions for seniors who want to consider their end-of-life choices - including whether they want to refuse or, conversely, require certain types of care. The claim that the bill would "push suicide" is a falsehood. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...th-care-news-conference/
Obama's Health Care News Conference
Facts vs. Obama
July 23, 2009
Summary
President Obama tried to sell his health care overhaul in prime time, mangling some facts in the process. He also strained to make the job sound easier to pay for than experts predict.
• Obama promised once again that a health care overhaul "will be paid for." But congressional budget experts say the bills they've seen so far would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit over the next decade.
• He said the plan "that I put forward" would cover at least 97 percent of all Americans. Actually, the plan he campaigned on would cover far less than that, and only one of the bills now being considered in Congress would do that.
• He said the "average American family is paying thousands" as part of their premiums to cover uncompensated care for the uninsured, implying that expanded coverage will slash insurance costs. But the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation puts the cost per family figure at $200.
• Obama claimed his budget "reduced federal spending over the next 10 years by $2.2 trillion" compared with where it was headed before. Not true. Even figures from his own budget experts don't support that. The Congressional Budget Office projects a $2.7 trillion increase, not a $2.2 trillion cut.
• The president said that the United States spends $6,000 more on average than other countries on health care. Actually, U.S. per capita spending is about $2,500 more than the next highest-spending country. Obama's figure was a White House-calculated per-family estimate.
Analysis
With the health care debate on Capitol Hill raging on, President Barack Obama held a prime-time news conference July 22 to make his pitch for a health care bill once again to the American public. Among his facts and figures, we found some false and questionable statements. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/07/canadian-straw-man/
Canadian Straw Man
More ads claim that Congress is pushing a Canadian-style health care bill.
July 17, 2009
Corrected: July 20, 2009
Updated: August 10, 2009
Summary
Two ads from related independent groups make claims about an overhaul of the health care system, saying Congress wants a government-run health care system:
• One ad claims that "Washington wants to bring Canadian-style health care to the U.S." But the health care bills moving through Congress don't call for a single-payer system like Canada's, and legislation that does support a purely government-run system is quietly dying in committee. Obama, too, has said repeatedly that he doesn't back a conversion to a single-payer system.
• Another ad, targeting specific members of the Senate, similarly claims that "Congress is rushing to take over health care." It says that a government health insurance option would cause "tens of millions" to move from their current insurance to a government plan. That claim is on the mark, according to one study, which found that millions would move from private insurance to a much cheaper government option.
Update, Aug. 6: Shona Holmes' claim that she "would have died" from her condition has been questioned. Please see our Wire post "Dying on a Wait List?" for details.
Analysis
We've written before about conservatives claiming that Congress, or Obama, or Washington, or Democrats in general want the U.S. to have a Canadian-style, government-run health care system. The truth of the matter is that the president has repeatedly said he doesn't. In fact, since being sworn in as president, Obama has riled advocates of such single-payer systems by largely excluding them from the health care debate. He has answered several questions from members of the public who asked at town hall events: "why not" have such a system. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and one of the leaders in drafting legislation, has said bluntly: "single-payer is not going to get even to first base in Congress." Yet, the Canada claims continue. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...ong-on-aarp-endorsement/
Obama Wrong on AARP Endorsement
August 11, 2009
At his town hall event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, President Obama went too far in claiming the support of AARP:
Obama: We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors. …
[A]nother myth that we've been hearing about is this notion that somehow we're going to be cutting your Medicare benefits. We are not. AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare, okay?
But AARP, while in support of overhauling the health care system, hasn't endorsed any bill. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...shing-for-a-public-plan/
Pushing for a Public Plan
Two liberal groups ramp up their efforts in support of a major health care overhaul.
June 23, 2009
Summary
Liberal groups have hit TV and radio with ads praising the idea of a public health insurance plan, an option that President Obama and other Democrats support as part of changes to the health care system. But the ads lack context and could well mislead the public:
• A TV ad by Health Care for America Now asks, "What if we stripped away the 13 billion dollar insurance company profits?" Our answer: It wouldn't make much of a difference. The ad fails to mention that the figure represents six-tenths of 1 percent of all health care spending. And profits wouldn't necessarily be eliminated or reduced by the creation of a public insurance option.
• The HCAN ad features a graphic that shows a monthly premium bill rising to more than $600. But that's double the average monthly bill for a family with employer-sponsored coverage.
• The TV spot also claims that health insurance company CEOs received $119 million in "bonuses," which is false. That figure represents total compensation, including salary.
Separately, a radio ad from MoveOn.org Political Action attacks Democratic Sen. Landrieu for opposing a public plan. The radio ad implies that Landrieu is influenced by "$1.6 million in campaign contributions from the health care industry." But that figure is both inflated and misleading. It includes donations from insurance companies that have nothing to do with health care. And it lumps together donations from health care groups and professionals on both sides of the issue.
Analysis
Health Care for America Now, a coalition that includes liberal and union groups, is on the airwaves with an ad that offers an idyllic look at what a public health insurance plan might mean. HCAN's ad started airing on June 19 and will run for 10 days in 10 states: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington.
President Obama and Democrats in Congress have backed the idea of offering a public plan as a choice for some or all Americans. But HCAN's rosy picture lacks some important context, and in a few instances is misleading. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...amas-health-care-claims/
Obama's Health Care Claims
He says the uninsured cost the rest of U.S. families $1,000 a year.
June 16, 2009
Updated: June 18, 2009
Summary
We found several claims in Obama's recent health-care sales pitches that could use some explanation or qualification.
• He said "the average family pays a thousand dollars in extra premiums to pay for people going to the emergency room who don't have health insurance." That's from a recent report by Families USA, a group that lobbies for expanded government coverage. But another study for the authoritative Kaiser Family Foundation thinks that figure is far too high.
• The president said the estimated $1 trillion cost of his proposals is "less than we are projected to have spent on the war in Iraq." Maybe. But so far, Iraq war costs are around $642 billion.
• He said that the U.S. spends 50 percent more per capita on health care than the next most expensive country. Not quite. We spend 20 percent more than the second most expensive country, and 50 percent more than the third.
On other points we found the president's facts checked out. For example, many countries that spend much less on health care nevertheless have higher life expectancy than the U.S. And while we find it doubtful that the uninsured cost other families $1,000 in higher premiums alone, once higher taxes and higher medical costs are factored in, the price tag for the uninsured could well be that high.
Analysis
President Barack Obama has made health care the focus of recent speeches, including one in Green Bay, Wisc., on June 11 and another at the American Medical Association conference in Chicago on June 15. While many of the statistics he cited on the state of health care in the U.S. were correct, we found problems with a few of them. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/.../more-health-care-scare/
More Health Care Scare
Could a public insurance plan spell the end of private insurance companies?
June 11, 2009
Summary
A new ad from Conservatives for Patients' Rights says that a public health insurance plan now being proposed in Congress "could crush all your other choices, driving them out of existence, resulting in 119 million off their current insurance coverage."
That's misleading. The 119 million figure comes from an analysis of a plan that would mirror Medicare and be open to every individual and business that wanted it. But that's not the type of public plan President Obama has proposed. Nor is such a plan gaining acceptance on Capitol Hill.
The author of the study says that while some have backed the Medicare-like proposal, using the 119 million number "overstates the impact of what now is being considered."
The ad also falsely cites the New York Times as the source of a statement that what's being proposed would leave no consumer choices and "government in control of your health care." The Times didn't say that at all. The newspaper was just quoting claims made by insurance companies and members of Congress.
Analysis
The group Conservatives for Patients' Rights is spending money on the airwaves again, this time warning Americans that the ability to buy health coverage through a public plan - an idea being debated on Capitol Hill - would leave them with "no choices in health insurance." We wrote about one of CPR's ads in April. The new TV spot is a step up from the last effort, but still misleading. ...
Mac
Cash for Clunkers
August 10, 2009
Q: Fox News' Glenn Beck said that the government will get complete access to your computer and all of your files when you log on to Cars.gov for the Cash for Clunkers program. Is there any truth to this?
A: This claim is false. Beck quoted from a security message on the site for dealers, not the site for the general public.
FULL ANSWER
We've received many inquiries about this claim, which stems from a July 31 episode of Glenn Beck's show on Fox News. He had invited Fox News anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle onto his show to talk about the Consumer Assistance Recycle and Save Act of 2009, more commonly known as the "Cash for Clunkers" program. The program gives consumers vouchers of up to $4,500 dollars in exchange for their old "clunker" cars. The vouchers go toward the purchase of new, more fuel efficient cars. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...nisters-bad-facts-again/
CPR Administers Bad Facts, Again
The group says premiums could nearly double for those who buy their own insurance. Experts we consulted disagree.
August 3, 2009
Summary
The latest ad from the group Conservatives for Patients' Rights claims that "new rules could hike your health insurance premiums 95 percent." That's misleading.
• The claim in the ad refers to only 5 percent of Americans who have health insurance - those who buy it on their own.
• The claim comes from an analysis by a group that advocates for insurance carriers that sell policies in the individual market, among other areas.
• That analysis also doesn't take into consideration several elements of leading congressional legislation that other experts say will keep premium costs down - and in fact, lower premiums for some. Other independent studies show premium costs decreasing on average for Americans that currently have health coverage.
• It's not true that any of the health care overhaul measures that have been approved by committees in Congress would add "a trillion to the federal deficit," as the ad says. The Senate bill would add roughly $597 billion over 10 years, and the House bill that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee in mid-July would add a much smaller $239 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Analysis
We've written about two previous misleading ads from the group Conservatives for Patients' Rights, whose TV spots argue against health care overhaul efforts that are moving through Congress. This ad puts forth a new claim, saying that "new rules could hike your health insurance premiums 95 percent." That's a startling statement. But it's contradicted by other experts that find premiums would actually go down under the leading proposals in Congress. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...false-euthanasia-claims/
False Euthanasia Claims
The claim that the House health care bill pushes suicide is nonsense.
July 29, 2009
Summary
On former Sen. Fred Thompson's radio show, former lieutenant governor of New York Betsy McCaughey said that the House's proposed health care bill contained a provision that would institute mandatory counseling sessions telling seniors how "to do what's in society's best interest … and cut your life short." House Minority Leader John Boehner made a slightly more measured statement, warning that the same provision "may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia if enacted into law."
In truth, that section of the bill would require Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling sessions helping seniors to plan for end-of-life medical care, including designating a health care proxy, choosing a hospice and making decisions about life-sustaining treatment. It would not require doctors to counsel that their patients refuse medical intervention.
Analysis
Our inboxes have exploded recently with worried queries from readers who have heard that the House's proposed health care bill, H.R. 3200, contains a provision that would require that ailing seniors be pressed to consider suicide in order to save the taxpayers money on Medicare. Most messages mention that this clause appears on page 425 of the legislation. A sample e-mail forward:
Chain e-mail: On Page 425 of Obama's health care bill, the Federal Government will require EVERYONE who is on Social Security to undergo a counseling session every 5 years with the objective being that they will explain to them just how to end their own life earlier. Yes…They are going to push SUICIDE to cut medicare spending!!!
Page 425 does deal with counseling sessions for seniors, but it is far from recommending a "Logan's Run" approach to Medicare spending. In fact, it requires Medicare to cover counseling sessions for seniors who want to consider their end-of-life choices - including whether they want to refuse or, conversely, require certain types of care. The claim that the bill would "push suicide" is a falsehood. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...th-care-news-conference/
Obama's Health Care News Conference
Facts vs. Obama
July 23, 2009
Summary
President Obama tried to sell his health care overhaul in prime time, mangling some facts in the process. He also strained to make the job sound easier to pay for than experts predict.
• Obama promised once again that a health care overhaul "will be paid for." But congressional budget experts say the bills they've seen so far would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit over the next decade.
• He said the plan "that I put forward" would cover at least 97 percent of all Americans. Actually, the plan he campaigned on would cover far less than that, and only one of the bills now being considered in Congress would do that.
• He said the "average American family is paying thousands" as part of their premiums to cover uncompensated care for the uninsured, implying that expanded coverage will slash insurance costs. But the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation puts the cost per family figure at $200.
• Obama claimed his budget "reduced federal spending over the next 10 years by $2.2 trillion" compared with where it was headed before. Not true. Even figures from his own budget experts don't support that. The Congressional Budget Office projects a $2.7 trillion increase, not a $2.2 trillion cut.
• The president said that the United States spends $6,000 more on average than other countries on health care. Actually, U.S. per capita spending is about $2,500 more than the next highest-spending country. Obama's figure was a White House-calculated per-family estimate.
Analysis
With the health care debate on Capitol Hill raging on, President Barack Obama held a prime-time news conference July 22 to make his pitch for a health care bill once again to the American public. Among his facts and figures, we found some false and questionable statements. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/07/canadian-straw-man/
Canadian Straw Man
More ads claim that Congress is pushing a Canadian-style health care bill.
July 17, 2009
Corrected: July 20, 2009
Updated: August 10, 2009
Summary
Two ads from related independent groups make claims about an overhaul of the health care system, saying Congress wants a government-run health care system:
• One ad claims that "Washington wants to bring Canadian-style health care to the U.S." But the health care bills moving through Congress don't call for a single-payer system like Canada's, and legislation that does support a purely government-run system is quietly dying in committee. Obama, too, has said repeatedly that he doesn't back a conversion to a single-payer system.
• Another ad, targeting specific members of the Senate, similarly claims that "Congress is rushing to take over health care." It says that a government health insurance option would cause "tens of millions" to move from their current insurance to a government plan. That claim is on the mark, according to one study, which found that millions would move from private insurance to a much cheaper government option.
Update, Aug. 6: Shona Holmes' claim that she "would have died" from her condition has been questioned. Please see our Wire post "Dying on a Wait List?" for details.
Analysis
We've written before about conservatives claiming that Congress, or Obama, or Washington, or Democrats in general want the U.S. to have a Canadian-style, government-run health care system. The truth of the matter is that the president has repeatedly said he doesn't. In fact, since being sworn in as president, Obama has riled advocates of such single-payer systems by largely excluding them from the health care debate. He has answered several questions from members of the public who asked at town hall events: "why not" have such a system. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and one of the leaders in drafting legislation, has said bluntly: "single-payer is not going to get even to first base in Congress." Yet, the Canada claims continue. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...ong-on-aarp-endorsement/
Obama Wrong on AARP Endorsement
August 11, 2009
At his town hall event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, President Obama went too far in claiming the support of AARP:
Obama: We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors. …
[A]nother myth that we've been hearing about is this notion that somehow we're going to be cutting your Medicare benefits. We are not. AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare, okay?
But AARP, while in support of overhauling the health care system, hasn't endorsed any bill. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...shing-for-a-public-plan/
Pushing for a Public Plan
Two liberal groups ramp up their efforts in support of a major health care overhaul.
June 23, 2009
Summary
Liberal groups have hit TV and radio with ads praising the idea of a public health insurance plan, an option that President Obama and other Democrats support as part of changes to the health care system. But the ads lack context and could well mislead the public:
• A TV ad by Health Care for America Now asks, "What if we stripped away the 13 billion dollar insurance company profits?" Our answer: It wouldn't make much of a difference. The ad fails to mention that the figure represents six-tenths of 1 percent of all health care spending. And profits wouldn't necessarily be eliminated or reduced by the creation of a public insurance option.
• The HCAN ad features a graphic that shows a monthly premium bill rising to more than $600. But that's double the average monthly bill for a family with employer-sponsored coverage.
• The TV spot also claims that health insurance company CEOs received $119 million in "bonuses," which is false. That figure represents total compensation, including salary.
Separately, a radio ad from MoveOn.org Political Action attacks Democratic Sen. Landrieu for opposing a public plan. The radio ad implies that Landrieu is influenced by "$1.6 million in campaign contributions from the health care industry." But that figure is both inflated and misleading. It includes donations from insurance companies that have nothing to do with health care. And it lumps together donations from health care groups and professionals on both sides of the issue.
Analysis
Health Care for America Now, a coalition that includes liberal and union groups, is on the airwaves with an ad that offers an idyllic look at what a public health insurance plan might mean. HCAN's ad started airing on June 19 and will run for 10 days in 10 states: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington.
President Obama and Democrats in Congress have backed the idea of offering a public plan as a choice for some or all Americans. But HCAN's rosy picture lacks some important context, and in a few instances is misleading. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/...amas-health-care-claims/
Obama's Health Care Claims
He says the uninsured cost the rest of U.S. families $1,000 a year.
June 16, 2009
Updated: June 18, 2009
Summary
We found several claims in Obama's recent health-care sales pitches that could use some explanation or qualification.
• He said "the average family pays a thousand dollars in extra premiums to pay for people going to the emergency room who don't have health insurance." That's from a recent report by Families USA, a group that lobbies for expanded government coverage. But another study for the authoritative Kaiser Family Foundation thinks that figure is far too high.
• The president said the estimated $1 trillion cost of his proposals is "less than we are projected to have spent on the war in Iraq." Maybe. But so far, Iraq war costs are around $642 billion.
• He said that the U.S. spends 50 percent more per capita on health care than the next most expensive country. Not quite. We spend 20 percent more than the second most expensive country, and 50 percent more than the third.
On other points we found the president's facts checked out. For example, many countries that spend much less on health care nevertheless have higher life expectancy than the U.S. And while we find it doubtful that the uninsured cost other families $1,000 in higher premiums alone, once higher taxes and higher medical costs are factored in, the price tag for the uninsured could well be that high.
Analysis
President Barack Obama has made health care the focus of recent speeches, including one in Green Bay, Wisc., on June 11 and another at the American Medical Association conference in Chicago on June 15. While many of the statistics he cited on the state of health care in the U.S. were correct, we found problems with a few of them. ...
http://www.factcheck.org/.../more-health-care-scare/
More Health Care Scare
Could a public insurance plan spell the end of private insurance companies?
June 11, 2009
Summary
A new ad from Conservatives for Patients' Rights says that a public health insurance plan now being proposed in Congress "could crush all your other choices, driving them out of existence, resulting in 119 million off their current insurance coverage."
That's misleading. The 119 million figure comes from an analysis of a plan that would mirror Medicare and be open to every individual and business that wanted it. But that's not the type of public plan President Obama has proposed. Nor is such a plan gaining acceptance on Capitol Hill.
The author of the study says that while some have backed the Medicare-like proposal, using the 119 million number "overstates the impact of what now is being considered."
The ad also falsely cites the New York Times as the source of a statement that what's being proposed would leave no consumer choices and "government in control of your health care." The Times didn't say that at all. The newspaper was just quoting claims made by insurance companies and members of Congress.
Analysis
The group Conservatives for Patients' Rights is spending money on the airwaves again, this time warning Americans that the ability to buy health coverage through a public plan - an idea being debated on Capitol Hill - would leave them with "no choices in health insurance." We wrote about one of CPR's ads in April. The new TV spot is a step up from the last effort, but still misleading. ...
Mac
