Discover Politics

Press Release: Fact Check: Minnesota Majority Ad on Health-Insurance Reform

St. Paul (November 6, 2009) — The DFL Party released this fact-check on Minnesota Majority’s latest round of health-insurance reform radio attack ads in Minnesota’s first and seventh congressional districts:

Minnesota Majority Ad Claim:
Bill represents $1 trillion in new spending, would hurt US fiscal condition
Health-insurance reform will improve the current system and reduce the deficit over time.
Fact: “CBO also found that the Democrats’ bill reduces the deficit in the first 10 years.” [CNN, 10/21/09]

The President and Congress have committed to producing legislation that will be paid for so it won’t saddle our children and grandchildren with debt. [AARP, accessed 11/5/09]

Minnesota Majority Ad Claim:
Steals $500 billion from Medicare

Fact: Reform would produce $500 billion in savings (not cuts) due to efficiencies created by the new bill, and none of it comes out of care for seniors.

“The claim that Obama and Congress are cutting seniors’ Medicare benefits to pay for the health care overhaul is outright false, though that doesn’t keep it from being repeated ad infinitum.”  [Factcheck.org, 8/14/09]

None of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits or increase out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services. [AARP, accessed 11/5/09]

Health care reform will reduce costly, preventable hospital readmissions, saving patients and Medicare money. [AARP, accessed 11/5/09]

Rather than weaken Medicare, health care reform will strengthen the financial status of the Medicare program. [AARP, accessed 11/5/09]

Minnesota Majority Ad Claim:
Imposes $700 billion in new taxes

Fact: Less than 1.4% Would Face Higher Taxes due to health-insurance reform.

According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, less than 1.4 percent of all U.S. households would face higher taxes under the proposal. The surtax for those upper-income folks would start at 1 percent and go up to 5.4 percent with top incomes over $1 million. [Tax-and-Spend Twittering, FactCheck.org, July 15, 2009]

Minnesota Majority Ad Claim:
Puts government in charge of deciding treatment

Fact:Decisions on treatment and health care will continue to be made by doctors, patients and their families.

“This claim stems from a fear that the U.S. will institute a system like that of the U.K., where the government provides and pays for health care. But none of the bills now being debated in Congress call for such a system, and the president has said he doesn’t want nationalized or single-payer health care.” [Factcheck.org, 8/14/09]

This claim also comes from provisions in the Recovery Act that would establish a council to coordinate government-funded research into which treatments work best, and in some cases, are most cost-effective.  But the provisions in the Recovery Act specifically state that the council cannot issue requirements or guidelines on treatment or insurance benefits. [Factcheck.org, 8/14/09]

The House bill would leave health care decisions up to the doctor and patient.  The bill states that: “Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the Commission or the Center to mandate coverage, reimbursement, or other policies for any public or private payer.’’ [Factcheck.org, 8/14/09]

The Senate bill would also only call for center that “will promote health outcomes research and evaluation that enables patients and providers to identify which therapies work best for most people and to effectively identify where more personalized approaches to care are necessary for others.” [Factcheck.org, 8/14/09]

Health care reform will NOT give the government the power to make life-and-death decisions for anyone regardless of their age. Those decisions will be made by individuals, their doctor and their family. [AARP, accessed 11/5/09]

Contact:
Kristin Sosanie (651-251-6315, ksosanie@dfl.org)