The LA Times today published an Obamacare puff piece that had inflated the enrollment numbers even higher than the White House itself has, and did so through a complicated set of contortions. (Thankfully, Salon picked up the article so we can stay on this side of the paywall.) Their point: OBAMACARE IS A GREAT THING! Look at how many people it has helped!
In essence,
Obamacare has thus far provided 9.5 million previously uninsured Americans with health insurance, constituting the largest expansion of health coverage in the U.S. since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid nearly 50 years ago.
This is breathtaking in its dishonesty, but kudos for creativity, Salon/LATimes.
Even the very notion of “largest expansion of health coverage in the US” betrays a leftist, big-government mindset. Adding “since Medicare and Medicaid” just drives the point home even more. Phrased better:
“…constituting the largest expansion of government into our lives in the U.S. possibly since the birth of the nation, or at least since the 16th amendment was adopted in 1913″ or this way:
” …constituting the largest mandated purchase ever implemented in the history of America.” Or another way:
“…constituting the greatest civil disobedience to a government mandate in US history. “
Now that has a rather nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Now to the lie of the 9.5 million. The calculus was done this way, from Salon:
Here’s a breakdown from the Times on how it ended up with the 9.5 million number:
• At least 6 million people have signed up for health coverage on the new marketplaces, about one-third of whom were previously uninsured.
OK, this is the number from the administration. So 2/3rds, according to them, were just replacing lost coverage.
• A February survey by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. found 27% of new enrollees were previously uninsured, but newer survey data from the nonprofit Rand Corp. and reports from marketplace officials in several states suggest that share increased in March.
Ah. A government funded survey which reports a lower number than the one-third above. Redundant but we’ll let this go
• At least 4.5 million previously uninsured adults have signed up for state Medicaid programs, according to Rand’s unpublished survey data, which were shared with The Times. That tracks with estimates from Avalere Health, a consulting firm that is closely following the law’s implementation.
OOHH so we have more Medicaid enrollees. What exactly does this have to do with Obamacare? Could this not have occurred without turning our entire healthcare system on it’s head?
• An additional 3 million young adults have gained coverage in recent years through a provision of the law that enables dependent children to remain on their parents’ health plans until they turn 26, according to national health insurance surveys from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Right. Too bad our young graduates are emerging into one of the worst job markets ever seen, moving back in with their parents and dependent on them for health care, rather than becoming self-reliant, independent adults as prior generations have. Nothing like telling a 22-year old college grad to be grateful for dependency. Really? This is what we want? I don’t think so. And let’s not forget the flip-side of this: any young adult dependent on his family and/or the government for health care is also not earning, not paying taxes, probably also not spending or saving. In short, these 3 million young adults have now become burdens rather than active participants in society and the economy. And my guess is, they are none too thrilled. Even worse is if they ARE thrilled; we will surely be doomed when that’s the case.
• About 9 million people have bought health plans directly from insurers, instead of using the marketplaces, Rand found. The vast majority of these people were previously insured.
Vast majority. Um hmmm. Yeah. We believe that, just like “If you like your health care, you can keep it, PERIOD.” Yeah, sorry if we don’t believe you.
• Fewer than a million people who had health plans in 2013 are now uninsured because their plans were canceled for not meeting new standards set by the law, the Rand survey indicates.
Do tell, Rand. And just for grins, what about those now uninsured because their premiums doubled? Or because their employers opted to no longer provide insurance?
Still not sure how this 9.5 million number was arrived at. At best, I get 2 million from the initial one-third, and another 3 million young adults who no doubt would rather have jobs than mom and dads healthcare. Not seeing the rest except for some “vast majority” and of course the greater number of medicaid enrollees, which, sorry, but they don’t count. But even if the number were in fact 9.5 million people now covered, pardon me but so what? Wasn’t the whole argument for this that 35 million were uninsured? Wasn’t that the reason we went through this? And of course, if this were of any interest to the administration, this would actually be a number they actually kept track of. Except of course, we know this was never the purpose.
In short, the propaganda continues. And as always, too many will believe it.
But here’s the Society of Professional Journalists’ Ethics Hotline: 866-345-3662 Go ahead and give them a call. Let them know they can’t keep getting away with this.