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The Truth-o-Meter says: True | Study from health insurers says premiums will rise, but it’s not the whole story

The day before an important vote in a Senate committee, the health insurance industry group released a report saying that health care reform will dramatically increase the cost of insurance. The Obama administration attacked the report as a last-ditch effort to derail reform. “I was disappointed to see that the health insurance industry had contrived a report like this at the last minute, right on the eve of a historic vote,” said Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform. The report “ignores some of the key policies that are part of the Senate Finance Committee bill, … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Barely True | Glenn Beck warns that in 1970s, flu shots caused neurological problems

Radio and talk show host Glenn Beck has said he doesn’t want to share his personal take on whether he will immunize his family with the H1N1 vaccine — the stakes are too high either way to give a personal opinion, he says — but he and some of his guests have repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of the vaccine. On his radio show on Oct. 8, Beck said, “You don’t know if this (the H1N1 vaccine) is gonna cause neurological damage like it did in the 1970s.” Beck refers here to a concern often raised by vaccine opponents, … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Pants on Fire! | Chain e-mail claims the Obamas plan to change a holiday tradition

On the Internet, the “war against Christmas” wages on — or at least that’s what the e-mails claim. A chain e-mail says that the Obama White House is renaming Christmas trees “holiday trees.” ”We have a friend at church who is a very talented artist. For several years she, among many others, has painted ornaments to be hung on the various White House Christmas trees,” the e-mail begins. “She got her letter from the WH recently. It said that they would not be called Christmas trees this year. They will be called Holiday trees. And, to please not … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: False | E-mail claims Iowa policy seeks to round up Iowans who might be exposed to the swine flu

Patty Quinlisk, medical director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, has been amazed by the amount of misinformation and blatant lies swirling around about the H1N1 virus and the federal plans to distribute a vaccine. But even she was a bit thrown when a man called last month and asked her whether Iowa was creating concentration camps for people with H1N1. Seriously. “We don’t have concentration camps here in Iowa,” she said. And then she sighed. “Those are words I never thought I’d have to say.” The rumor spread wide enough that the Iowa Department of Public Health felt … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: False | Beck says 45 percent of physicians would quit if health reform passes

Physicians are important players in the health care debate. They’ve been courted by both supporters and opponents of the Democratic reform plan. President Barack Obama held a Rose Garden ceremony with some of them recently. And now opponents of the Democratic health care plan are citing poll results that supposedly show that lots of doctors would be so unhappy with the reforms that they’d quit their jobs.Fox News Channel political commentator Glenn Beck mentioned this on his Oct. 12, 2009, show during a wide-ranging critique of the Democratic plan. He said that the plan could harm doctors financially … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Flexible spending accounts under health care reform might get new limits

As Congress considers a sweeping health care reform bill, groups are springing up that represent obscure aspects of the current system. The latest group raising concerns represents companies that provide flexible spending accounts. The group, known as Save Flexible Spending Plans, sent us a press release with the dire warning that a proposal approved by the Senate Finance Committee “would drastically restrict the use of flexible spending accounts (FSAs) in order to help pay for health care reform.” “FSAs are a lifeline for working Americans, often making the difference between staying afloat and going into debt over health care needs, … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Health insurers’ group says Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will be hit more by reform plan

One of the Republicans’ favorite arguments against the Democratic health care reform proposals is that seniors could be hurt by cuts to Medicare. America’s Health Insurance Plans, the trade group for the health insurance industry, began running television advertisements on this point in mid October. One ad, aimed at residents of Missouri, posed the following question: “Is it right to ask 10 million seniors on Medicare Advantage for more than their share? Congress is proposing over $100 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says many seniors will see cuts in benefits.” For this item, we’re … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly True | Democrats claim only 20 percent of Americans call themselves Republicans

In a recent round of partisan fighting, Democrats made a claim that piqued our curiosity: that only 20 percent of Americans identify themselves as Republicans. The comment grew out of the partisan food fight that followed President Barack Obama’s surprise win of the Nobel Peace prize.Republicans criticized Obama, claiming he had accomplished little in his first nine months to deserve the award. Democrats swung back, attacking Republicans for being divisive and unpatriotic in their attacks on the president.In a particularly heated statement, Democratic National Committee communications director Brad Woodhouse compared the Republican response to Obama’s … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Barely True | Health care reform bill not that bipartisan

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama warned health insurance companies not to derail health care reform, and he praised the progress Congress has already made. Obama said a broad coalition of supporters including “doctors and nurses, workers and businesses, hospitals and even drug companies — folks who represent different parties and perspectives, including leading Democrats and many leading Republicans” were pushing reform forward.  “Just this week, the Senate Finance Committee approved a reform proposal that has both Democratic and Republican support,” he said. It was the last statement that caught our attention. Leaders of the majority party often boast … >> More

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Sen. Cornyn says first installment of Democrats’ health reform plan would raise deficit $250 billion

If you heard Sen. John Cornyn’s comments on CBS’s Face the Nation on Oct. 18, 2009, you may have thought the Democrats’ big health care reform plan was coming to the Senate floor this week and that it would explode the federal deficit. “In fact, this week, Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled to vote on the first installment of health care reform, which will violate the president’s promise not to raise the deficit by one dime,” Cornyn said. “In fact, it will raise the deficit by $250 billion.” The very same day, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said … >> More