Politifact Checks a Chain Email, I Check Politifact

Hi folks,

So Politifact.com has received emails from unidentified sources that changes what I said in my post “HC Monstrosity” . In fact, I’ll quote Politifact directly:

“Many of the e-mails we received have made changes to Fleckenstein’s original tweets, and the e-mail we’ve checked here has made changes as well.”

I’d also like to quote Jennifer Tolbert, an independent health care analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation on what she had to say about the distorted and incorrect chain email that’s being sent around:

“It’s awful,” she said. “It’s flat-out, blatant lies. It’s unbelievable to me how they can claim to reference the legislation and then make claims that are blatantly false.”

The claim that the bill provides free health care for illegal immigrants is particularly egregious, Tolbert said. “No one’s provided with free health care. That’s ridiculous,” she said.

I posted my tweets about health care to get people involved in what our Government is doing and in the interest of fairness let’s take a look at what exactly Politifact said and I’ll try and clarify my position:

Politifact • Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure! False: Section 113 of the bill requires the Health Choices commissioner to conduct a study to make sure health reform does not unintentionally create incentives for businesses to self-insure or create adverse selection in the risk pools of insured plans. There is no mandated audit.

ME – Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Govt will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!! So Politifact gives me a false but you actually have to read the page to understand – If you actually read the requirements for the report which is mandated by the government you will quickly realize that indeed the only way to give a complete report is for the Government to audit the books of employers. So I say to Politifact – TRUE!
Politifact • Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed! False: Section 122 outlines broad categories of benefits that must be included in an essential benefits package. It prohibits cost-sharing for preventive care and limits annual out-of-pocket spending to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family, indexed for inflation. It says nothing about rationing or limiting treatment.

ME – Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill – YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!!! So if the Government sets limits for annual out of pocket spending for an individual and for a family then the Government has to control costs for the health services delivered. How? Through rationing of those services. Politifact – I believe I’m owed a TRUE.

Politifact • Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process) Barely True: Section 123 establishes a Health Benefits Advisory Committee that makes recommendations on what types of health insurance coverage will be defined as basic, enhanced or premium. The committee will be chaired by the surgeon general, with members appointed by the president, the comptroller general, and representatives of federal agencies. This committee makes recommendations on insurance regulations, so in that sense it does set standards for benefits. But it does not make decisions about treatments for individuals.

ME – Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill – THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benes u get. Notice how the chain email that Politifact quotes adds things that I did not say. Now if you read the complete section, 123, starting on page 30 you will see that the committee in fact sets the standards for the basic, enhanced, and premium benefits package which are treatments and benefits that you would receive I think I’m owed an upgrade from barely true to TRUE on this one.

Politifact • Page 42: The “Health Choices Commissioner” will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None. Pants on Fire!: Section 142 outlines the duties of the Health Choices commissioner, who is charged with regulating insurers. The commissioner should seek insurers to offer different types of insurance, including basic, enhanced and premium. Individuals will be able to choose among competing insurers who are regulated via the exchange.

ME – Pg 42 of HC Bill – The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC Benefits 4 you. U have no choice! Now I have to completely disagree with Politifact. So let’s look at the exact wording directly from the text of the bill:

“(1) QUALIFIED PLAN STANDARDS.—The establishment of qualified health benefits plan standards under this title, including the enforcement of such standards in coordination with State insurance regulators and the Secretaries of Labor and the Treasury.”

So we can see directly that indeed one of the duties of the Health Choices Commissioner is to establish qualified health benefits plan standards. So yes the HCC does choose your health care benefits for you. Politifact – you owe me a big TRUE.

Politifact • Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free health care services. Pants on Fire! Section 152 includes a generic non-discrimination clause, which says insurers may not discriminate with regard to “personal characteristics extraneous to the provision of high quality health care or related services.” It says nothing about “non-US citizens” or immigrants, legal or otherwise. In fact, the legislation specifically states that undocumented aliens will not be eligible for credits to help them buy health insurance, in Section 246 on page 143.

ME – PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill – HC will be provided 2 ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise. We can see that the chain email Politifact received completely misquotes me here. Now let me explain what I actually tweeted here -

“SEC. 152. PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION IN HEALTH CARE.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise explicitly permitted by this Act and by subsequent regulations consistent with this Act, all health care and related services (including insurance coverage and public health activities) covered by this Act shall be provided without regard to personal characteristics extraneous to the provision of high quality health care or related services.”

In particular the phrase “without regard to personal characteristics extraneous to the provision of high quality health care or related services.” For me, I interpret this to mean that regardless of the individual’s race, gender, age, religion or national origin health care will be provided. Equally important is the phrase “Except as otherwise explicitly PERMITTED by this Act”.

Additionally there is a specific reference to national origin on page 763 where it deals with non discrimination of Disproportionate Share Hospitals and Essential Access Hospitals and I quote:

‘‘(A) provides services to beneficiaries under this title without discrimination on the ground of race, color, national origin, creed, source of payment, status as a beneficiary under this title, or any other ground unrelated to such beneficiary’s need for the services or the availability of the needed services in the hospital;”

I interpret – “without discrimination on the ground of national origin” as a basis and an opening for non-U.S. citizens to be provided health care in the U.S.

Now we have but to look at California to see how illegals are not allowed health care right? Yeah riiight. So Politifact I’ll take a Mostly True on this one.
Politifact • Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard. Barely True: Section 163 sets out goals for electronic health records. It says one goal should be real-time confirmation of which services a person qualifies for and how much they will have to pay. That could be achieved by machine-readable beneficiary cards, according to the legislative language. But the legislation does not require the cards.

ME – Pg 58HC Bill – Govt will have real-time access 2 individs finances & a National ID Healthcard will b issued! Let’s go directly to the text of the health care bill -

“which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card”

Now come on folks, we all know that a Govt Run Health Care Exchange and Plan will require this National ID Health Card. I think I should get at least a Mostly TRUE.

Politifact • Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer. Barely True: Section 163 sets out goals for electronic health records. One of the goals is to include features that “enable electronic funds transfers, in order to allow automated reconciliation” between payment and billing. The legislative summary says the intent in the section is “to adopt standards for typical transactions” between insurance companies and health care providers. The legislation generically describes typical electronic banking transactions and does not outline any special access privileges.

ME – Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts 4 elect. funds transfer! Read the exact text that I referenced folks. Indeed the Government will have direct access to your bank accounts as they must have access to electronically withdraw funds. Come on now, you want the Government accessing your bank accounts at all? So Politifact, you owe me a full TRUE on this one.

Politifact • Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN). Pants on Fire! Section 164 creates a temporary reinsurance program to help employers or employee associations pay for coverage for workers ages 55 to 64. It does not mention labor unions or community organizer groups, though presumably they could qualify for subsidies like any other employee association that previously offered health insurance. The section’s point, however, is to offer subsidies to employer-based insurance programs, not unions or community organizers.

ME – PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan 4 retirees and their families in Unions & community orgs (ACORN). Again I have to completely disagree with Politifact. I believe that GM’s employer based insurance program is for their UAW employees. I believe that SEIU’s union members have employer based insurance programs as well. I also believe that ACORN is covered as well too as a vlountary association. But let’s take a look again directly at the text in this section -

“The term ‘‘eligible employment-based plan’’ means a group health benefits plan that—is maintained by one or more employers, former employers or employee associations, or a voluntary employees’ beneficiary association, or a committee or board of individuals appointed to administer such plan”

So it’s very clear that what I am saying is the exact opposite of what Politifact says – It’s A TRUE!

Politifact • Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange. True. Private health care plans must conform to government rules to participate in the exchange, and this page begins an explanation of exchange rules. However, the requirement that insurance companies must conform to is also presented much earlier in the bill. We spotted an earlier reference on page 15, Section 101.

ME – Here is my original tweet: “Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control.” So we can see that the email completely misquotes what I sd but Politifact confirms it to be true.

Politifact • Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans). Mostly True. Section 203 sets rules saying that plans must offer basic plans before they can offer plans with extra benefits. These extra benefits are defined as enhanced plans and premium plans. (The unstated assumption here is that enhanced and premium plans will be more profitable for the insurance companies.) But this isn’t the page number that requires health plans to participate in the exchange. Technically speaking, private insurance plans are not required to participate. Rather, only insurance sold on the exchange will satisfy the mandate that people have health insurance. In effect, private health plans that want to sell to individuals will have to sell through the exchange, under the terms of the bill.

ME – PG 84 Sec 203 HC bill – Govt mandates ALL benefit pkgs 4 priv. HC plans in the Exchange. So again the email completely misquotes me and when you look at what I actually said then Politifact’s “Mostly True” becomes true.
Politifact • Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens. Half True. Section 204 outlines more regulations for health insurance plans in the exchange. One of the requirements is that they provide “culturally and linguistically appropriate communication and health services.” Another part of the bill mentions that this includes “effective methods for communicating in plain language.” There is no mention of citizenship status.

ME – I don’t even list Page 91. So the email has something I never said.

Politifact • Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan. False. Section 205 says the Health Choices commissioner is charged with publicizing the options on the health care exchange. The legislation says the commissioner “may work with other appropriate entities to facilitate the dissemination of information.” The bill does not mention ACORN or Americorps. The bill also says that the commissioner must publicize the “Exchange-participating health benefits plan options,” which would include private insurance plans.

ME – Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps 2 sign up indiv. for Govt HC plan. Again the email completely misquotes what I actually sd. I also have to disagree with Politifact on this and here’s why -

Now within those lines it references Paragraph 4 of such subsection – specifically I am pointing to page 100 lines 15 through 18:

“USE OF OTHER ENTITIES.—In carrying out this subsection, the Commissioner may work with other appropriate entities to facilitate the dissemination of information under this subsection”

As you can see the door is ambiguously left wide open for the Commissioner to work with other appropriate entities, for exampleACORN or AmeriCorp. So I leave it up to you to decide – I think what I sd is true. With this administration and their relationship with ACORN it is very well within the realm of possibility.
Politifact • Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter. False. This page describes people who would qualify for Medicaid, a government insurance program for people with very low incomes. It says that individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid only if they have “not elected to enroll in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan.” So the auto-enrollment only happens if they have not chosen another plan.

ME – PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill – Medicaid Eligible Indiv. will b automat.enrolled in Medicaid. No choice. Well we have one that’s close to what I said. Again though I have to disagree with Politifact. So let’s go specifically to the actual text of the bill:

“AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT OF MEDICAID ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS INTO MEDICAID.—The Commissioner shall provide for a process under which an individual who is described in section 202(d)(3) and has not elected to enroll in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan is automatically enrolled under Medicaid.”

Well it’s pretty clear to me that the Govt is telling you that if you don’t elect to enroll in a Government Exchange participating health benefits plan then you will be automatically enrolled under Medicaid. So you don’t really have a choice. If you don’t enroll in one Government program you’ll have to enroll in another Government Program. So Politifact – sorry it is TRUE.
Politifact • Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “judicial review” is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed. Barely True. Section 223 discusses how the government will pay doctors under the public option health insurance; they will pay 5 percent more than Medicare pays. It’s true that this section does not set out any sort of judicial review, but it specifically states that health care providers do not have to accept patients under the public option. The bill also says that the Health Choices commissioner has the authority “to correct for payments that are excessive or deficient,” taking into account “amounts paid for similar health care providers and services under other Exchange-participating health benefits plans.” There may be a broader case to be made that the government can out-compete private insurers through the public option, but this section of the plan doesn’t have to do with lawsuits or judicial review.

ME - pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Govt Monop. So again you can see how the email misquoted me. Now Politifact gave me a Barely True. So let’s see directly from the text of the bill.

(f) LIMITATIONS ON REVIEW.—There shall be no administrative or judicial review of a payment rate or methodology established under this section or under section 224.

Well I think that “judicial review” means courts and since the Government states there cannot be a review of a payment rate then that leaves the door wide open for the Government to fix prices. Politifact – I think you owe me a TRUE.

Politifact • Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages. Barely True. Section 225 discusses payments for physicians who choose to accept the public option insurance. Again, there may be a broader case to be made that the government can out-compete private insurers through the public option, but this section of the plan only applies to payments to doctors for patients who are part of the public option. The government does not set wages for doctors because doctors are free to decline to see the patients.

ME – pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill – Doctors – The Govt will tell YOU what u can make. Once again the chain email completely misquotes me. Again I have to give this a TRUE. If you read the actual lines that I referenced then indeed, the Government is telling Doctors what they can make and yes it happens to be in the Public Option Plan.

Folks, The list I provided in my HC Monstrosity post are references. It is every one’s duty in America, to read the Health Care bill in it’s entirety – Politifact included, especially if you want to comment specifically on it.

I want to thank Politifact for continuing to bring the monstrosities of this Health Care bill to light so that every one can discuss. I also want to thank them for bringing to light emails which purposely distort what I have said. I urge them to read the bill in it’s entirety so they can continue to check facts check facts.

Here’s the link to the article on Politifact – E-mail Analysis of HC Bill

Share and Enjoy:

This entry was posted by Fleckman on July 30, 2009 at 6:21 pm, and is filled under Politics. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

frednatchobean

"29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill – YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!!! So if the Government sets limits for annual out of pocket spending for an individual and for a family then the Government has to control costs for the health services delivered. How? Through rationing of those services. Politifact – I believe I’m owed a TRUE."

How can y0u twist an Out of Pocket limit as rationing??? Most good insurance right now has an out of pocket cap. If you cap is 1000 and you spend 1000, insurance covers the rest without you paying any more. The only thing rationed is how much you pay and I for one am fine with that. The bill does not say or even elude to the possibility that any coverage will be reduced when your out of pocket cap is reached...you are an idiot sir!!!

Sean Kinney

Part II

For your audience - please make the time to become better informed and don't rely on an echo chamber in forming your opinion about health care reform.

The majority of U.S. citizens believe the current health care system is broken. Medicare/Medicare are teetering on bankruptcy. As the population ages few and fewer people will be paying into a system to support more and more people. A greater number of companies are no longer providing health care insurance because of the rising costs. Because of the way health care is currently paid for in this country we all are paying through higher premiums to cover those without insurance.

Those are facts.

You may not agree with the Obama Administration about the solution (and I don't agree with everything either) but to not listen and simply parrot other parrots is foolhardy. Learn the backgrounds and experience of the people and organizations making the recommendations and talking about the issue.

All of the opinions penned by Pete are simply that - opinions. I have no doubt he means well and believes in what he writes.

The benefit of a real news organization such as Politifact.com (http://unhub.com/XRSW) reviewing the statements of politicians, pundits and sophists is a third part evaluation of statements. The press has historically been called the 4th branch of government because when it is functioning properly as a watchdog you end up with world changing investigative journalism as opposed to simply paid cheerleaders or smug arrogance.

Valuable investigative journalism brought about the end of Enron, brought down Madoff, revealed the lies of the Nigerian yellow-cake story, broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal, exposed the dishonor of Oliver North's lies about the Iran-Contra Affair, ended the Nixon's Presidency, ended the fascist McCarthyism trials, and revealed the truth behind the bribery of the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Investigative journalism brought the intellectual honesty and clarity of William F. Buckley, Jr. (http://unhub.com/GFBl), Edward R. Murrow (http://unhub.com/sc2R), Upton Sinclair (http://unhub.com/qzz2), Walter Cronkite (http://unhub.com/ojLF) and even Jon Stewart.

I believe something needs changed in regards to how we distribute health care - 47 million fellow Americans need some help. A number that will increase. Providing appropriate health care to all people is the Christian thing to do, it is morally right and it is fiscally responsible.

What would be more helpful than one more blog about the "Evils of Obama" and the Chicken Little Hysteria of conservative wingnuts is a concrete proposal from moderate conservatives. Give me an option and not simply an opinion.

Tell me what will work - not won't what.

To quote my USMC Drill Instructor Staff Seargent Pyle "Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way."

Sean Kinney

(Part 1)

You raise some excellent points but to be honest in the end you are merely sharing your opinion about what this proposed legislation will or won't do. No one knows what the final legislation will look like because there are still four versions in committee. Congress hasn't voted on any of them.

According to your bio on Linkedin (http://unhub.com/aDuu) you have no experience in health care, law, economics or government. Perhaps your bio is incomplete but you also appear to have only worked in IT and had no experience in human resources, corporate management or economic leadership. You currently list your position as CEO of Flecks for Life but there appears to be nothing on your corporate website - http://unhub.com/DiV8 - and I can find nothing else about your company.

Your only previous employer listed on your LinkedIn profile, Namwest, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after the real estate market in Arizona collapsed (http://unhub.com/D5kg). As the Chief Information Officer, I realize you had no real authority in the economic decision making of the company and are not liable for any of the failings of your former employer. We all make mistakes - I've made my share too.

On your Twitter account you list yourself as a former Marine. As an honorably discharged member of the Marine Corp you will never have to worry about your health care - your government run VA benefits will provide for you as you grow older if you ever choose to use them.

I'm not saying this to crap on you or your life. But as I always told my eight grade science students - don't just check the facts on a website but check the expertise of the person providing content for the website. For example, if an economist is writing about global warming he is probably not the best resource.

I'm not really clear how your background makes you an expert on the complicated and difficult issues that intersect in health care reform - medical, economics, legal, social or political. But that is the beauty of the internet - you don't have to be an expert - or even knowledgeable - to share an perspective.

Although, I'm sure you could write authoritatively on the impact of technology as a tool to reduce administrative costs associated with medical recording keeping and streamlining of services.

That would be worth reading.

I'd like to know if the savings proposed by our President and Commander and Chief are real.

You write well - which is more than many extremist bloggers on the left or right do - making your perspective seem more plausible. However, in the end the result is simply conspiracy theory gone amuck. You believe the left is in some giant conspiracy to strip you of your rights and force you into some type of re-education camp. That is as outrageous as Hillary Clinton's claim of a great right wing conspiracy against her and Bill.

I've read your site and there are entirely too many factual misrepresentations and chicken little statements to spend rebutting them all. Clearly, from the tone and images you've chosen to take on this issue you are more interested in your audience than in the issue. Which is fine - it makes organizations and individuals like FOX, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck great sums of money. Which is one of the key components of being a best selling author, a political pundit or snake-oil salesman - know your audience and tell them what they want to hear.

(con't)

Peter Fleckenstein

1. Regardless of the four versions in the bill. Everyone of them have the underlying theme of Big Government taking over the freedoms and liberties of Americans. This bill isn't about Health Care reform and it's not about Health Insurance Reform.

2. If you had actually taken the time to read the bill page by page and line by line as I have you would see that my opinion actually is statement of fact. You see in order to read the bill properly, two things must occur. You have to read the actual words of the bill and you have to understand the intent within those words. Something you have failed to comprehend.

3. You might want to refrain from making comments about things you have absolutely no understanding of. I have over twenty years experience across multiple industries and government. I have experience in healthcare, law, contract writing, sales, marketing, operations, technology, management, multi million dollar profit & loss responsibility, manufacturing, distribution, business process reengineering and other areas. I've also consulted companies ranging from Fortune 10, Fortune 500, Fortune 1000 and small 7 mid sized companies in all these areas.

Funny how 99.99999% of Congress has no experience running a business or no experience in health care whatsoever, yet we allow them to write laws about those issues. It's not just Congress either - President Obama has ZERO experience in either of those issues. You conveniently forget to point that out.

As for my company, Flecks of Life, you seem to not comprehend what a start-up company is. Let me help you with your lack of knowledge - There's no information on my company because I am in start-up mode. That means I want to keep a competitive edge and not alert anyone to what I am doing and building. Get it? Yet?

4. You sure like to make a lot of assumptions which, as we can all see, makes a complete ass out of you. Namwest went out of business because of the economy and because founders didn't understand that debt does not equal wealth. You know, much like Obama doesn't understand.

5. As an honorably discharged Marine, I've earned those health care benefits, just like millions of other service men and women who have sacrificed and served this country and the citizens within. Additionally, I have never used the VA Health Services. Why? Because the private health care coverage that I chose and paid for is exponentially better. See that? I could get free health care from the government but I chose to go private. Hmmmm....

6. You're not crapping on my life by bringing things up in my life that you have absolutely no understanding of? LMAO! Could you be any more transparently dishonest? No. You're so in love with how you write that you're blind to what you write.

7. I feel bad for your science class. In science, you go and check facts to validate theories or ideas. Does it make an difference if someone is an expert in something? Not as much if that expert is consistently wrong. A perfect example is Paul Krugman, a Nobel prize winning economist. Sadly, we've seen just how wrong Krugman is on Keynesian economics, health care and various other issues, including global warming.

8. What is lost on many people is the assumption that technology is a tool that reduces costs. See that's outcomes thinking. That's why this Administration and Congress have already failed us miserably. The big part many people miss is that you first have to focus on the processes and practices. Before any successful technology implementation, one must go through and map existing processes including people, organizational structures, existing technology, legal ramifications, etc. Then they look at potential outcomes that they wish to achieve. The gap or delta that is between the two is where technology could produce efficiencies and reduced costs. I can tell you unequivocally that this administration has not done any of this required work in regards to electronic medical records. Why can I tell you that? I understand EMRs because I was part of one of the first companies who wrote electronic medical records software in the early 90s.

9. Here, enlighten yourself as to if the savings proposed by Obama are real - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrnucDxnFy0

10. Your feeble attempts at trying to put me into the conspiracy theory crowd are just that - feeble. I'm not part of any extremist group.

Perhaps someday you'll take the time to read the health care bill page by page and line by line like I have and actually be able to discuss it with me. Until that happens then all we'll see from you is how in love you are with your own writing rather than being consistent and factual in the content.

Sean Kinney

Hi Pete,

One more thing - someone sent me a link to the New England Journal of Medicine's website on the health care reform movement - http://unhub.com/vsIi. Some of your readers may find their expertise and perspective of value.

Thanks,
Sean

Politifact Checks a Chain Email, I Check Politifact

Tweetin’

Blogroll