Monthly Archive: November 2013

Three-quarters of employer plans already compliant with the ACA?

“[T]he International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans … found that about three-quarters of all employer-sponsored health plans already meet the criteria of the Affordable Care Act.” —PunditFact, Nov. 20, 2013   Overview PunditFact, the pundit-checking branch of PolitiFact, misuses a 2013 survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans to help excuse insurance plan cancellations under the ACA. The…
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Pre-existing conditions coming back thanks to Republicans?

“Today we saw a clear contrast: Democrats are working to fix and improve the Affordable Care Act, while Republicans still want to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny people coverage for pre-existing conditions, treat being a woman as a pre-existing condition, and watch health care costs drive families into bankruptcy.” —Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nov….
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Review of fact-checking study: ‘Making a Difference?’

A critical review of Michelle A. Amazeen’s review of fact checking in 2012 October of 2013 provided us with more than one research paper on fact checking from the New America Foundation. “Making a Difference?: A Critical Assessment of Fact-checking in 2012” [Updated URL, Aug. 23, 2019] by Michelle A. Amazeen proves at the same time less ambitious and more…
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Geppettos for nothing (chicks for free?)

“From what we know now, [Jason] Furman’s statement stands up to scrutiny. He earns a rare Geppetto Checkmark.” —Glenn Kessler the Washington Post Fact Checker, Nov. 11, 2013   Overview Furman’s statement needs more scrutiny. The Facts The Washington Post Fact Checker, Glenn Kessler, posted a fact check of a White House economic adviser on November 11, 2013. The adviser,…
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PunditFact vs Glenn Beck on losing health insurance

PunditFact logo with Glenn Beck inset

“[Glenn] Beck said that when Obama promised that people could keep the plans they like, he knew that half of all Americans would lose their health insurance. Beck is wrong in every respect. The primary study he relied on contradicts his number, saying that at most 50 million people would lose coverage, not 125 million.” —PunditFact, Nov. 6, 2013  …
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PolitiFact’s blinkered self-assessment

Fact checker “PolitiFact” spins its fact check failures on health care reform The media have rightly joined the public in criticizing President Obama’s veracity in claiming Americans could keep their health care plans if they liked them.  And many have rightly criticized PolitiFact for turning a more-or-less blind eye on the president’s preposterous sales job.  But PolitiFact isn’t taking this…
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Tea party folks think the government should keep its hands off Medicare?

We were recently reminded of the allegation that tea party members don’t understand that Medicare is a government insurance program.  The reminder came with photographic evidence:  an early tea party rally featuring a person holding a sign that read “Keep government out of my Medicare!  You damn socialists!” The sign didn’t look quite right.  Suspecting a Photoshop job, we looked…
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Capitalism to blame for the rash of health insurance cancellations? Frank Pallone’s appearance on “The Kelly File”

“It’s capitalism. You can go out and buy whatever you want, but the insurance company realizes they can’t sell this lousy insurance policy anymore.” —Frank Pallone, Oct. 31, 2013   Overview Rep. Pallone’s description of the reasons behind the recent raft of insurance policy cancellations creates a freakishly distorted picture of reality. The Facts Rep. Frank Pallone (D—N.J.) appeared on…
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