Health Care Fact Check – Update New Video

President Obama loves to throw around facts and figures (like 57 states, ha!). But this one caught everyone’s eye.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avZSfnK7KFM

But like 57 states … this appears to be wrong. ABC’s Jake Tapper picks up the story.

The claim, based on a 2001 survey, “is simply unsupportable,” he writes. “The figure comes from a 2005 Harvard University study saying that 54 percent of bankruptcies in 2001 were caused by health expenses.”

But the Harvard survey asked those filing bankruptcy whether health care costs were “a reason” behind their troubles. They were included.

They also included any bankruptcy filers with $1,000 or more in unreimbursed medical expenses in the previous two years.

Update: Fox News Major Garrett adds to the fact check. Pay particular attention to Obama’s economic advisor Christina Romer at the end. “I’ll get back to you.”.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2ZlTmHaJ24

Yeah … the facts are wrong but the story’s true. Oh brother.

Obama seems to be an agenda driven ideologue who will use whatever numbers, or means necessary to scare the American people into his agenda. For instance this Sally Pipes NY Post column from earlier this week gives a different look at the health care issue.

The president’s budget repeats the popular claim that 45.7 million Americans are uninsured. The figure is taken as proof positive that the current system is failing – and that the government must step in to provide a remedy.

But that misleading number includes millions we can hardly call uninsured. About 18 million of the uninsured make more $50,000 a year – and almost 10 million have yearly incomes over $75,000. More than 10 million aren’t US citizens. And as many as 14 million are already eligible for government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP – but haven’t signed up.

For most folks, health insurance is simply too expensive. And ramping up funding for government health programs, as Obama proposes, won’t make insurance cheaper. In fact, it could cause private insurance to become more expensive.

Facts and figures can be disturbing. Thus the bottom line here is Obamacare will not reduce costs … just what you may pay. How much care you get for that money … well that will be up to the government. No brag Mr President, just fact.

Oh … and this one’s for you.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws

Posted in

Jim Vicevich

Jim is a veteran broadcaster and conservative/libertarian blogger with more than 25 years experience in TV and radio. Jim's was the long-term host of The Jim Vicevich Show on WTIC 1080 in Hartford from 2004 through 2019. Prior to radio, Jim worked as a business and financial reporter for NBC30 - the NBC owned TV station in Hartford - and as business editor at WFSB-TV in Hartford for 14 years while earning six Emmy nominations and three Telly Awards.

3 Comments

  1. Dimsdale on March 6, 2009 at 2:31 am

    "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story."  – the Obambi motto.

    "If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking 'till you do succeed." – Jerome "Curly" Howard



  2. brainflation on March 6, 2009 at 3:27 am

    I recently completed an analysis of the per person healthcare costs for Medicare/Medicaid and SCHIP combined. The per person annual cost is over $11,000 as of 2006.

    I wish these guys would take the time to do just 5 minutes of background research before coming up with plans.



  3. Dimsdale on March 7, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    "But that misleading number includes millions we can hardly call uninsured. About 18 million of the uninsured make more $50,000 a year – and almost 10 million have yearly incomes over $75,000. More than 10 million aren’t US citizens. And as many as 14 million are already eligible for government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP – but haven’t signed up."

    Just using these numbers, you find that of the 45.7 million so called uninsured people, almost all are insurable (18+10+14 = 42), and the illegals shouldn't even be considered except in emergency situations (as they are being deported).

    So for about 3-4 million people, we should throw our current system into upheaval?  Wouldn't it just be cheaper to have the gov't simply take care of the remaining group and leave the rest of  us alone?  I don't want British/Canadian style health rationing.



The website's content and articles were migrated to a new framework in October 2023. You may see [shortcodes in brackets] that do not make any sense. Please ignore that stuff. We may fix it at some point, but we do not have the time now.

You'll also note comments migrated over may have misplaced question marks and missing spaces. All comments were migrated, but trackbacks may not show.

The site is not broken.