You Can Handle the Truth

INCORRECT STATEMENT #1 “They were all onboard.”

In the debate, Congressman Lynch said or implied several times that the insurance companies supported healthcare reform. That is factually incorrect.

The Quotes:

Mac D’Alessandro:  “The choice was to do something for our families to reform this system or do nothing. You stood with the insurance companies, because they opposed the bill, just as you did.”

Congressman Lynch: “They were opposed until they got rid of the public option.”

“Once the public option went away….you didn’t see any commercials against this bill….they were all onboard.”

The Facts:

Beginning more formally in the fall of 2009 (and according to some reports, behind the scenes as early as summer 2009), America’s Health Insurance Plans (known more commonly as AHIP, the trade group that lobbies on behalf of the insurance industry), came to oppose the health care reform efforts. Ultimately, they opposed the final bill.



AHIP Statement – March 18th, 2010

http://www.ahip.org/content/pr…

TPM story from March 18th on AHIP’s opposition

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpoin…

The National Journal also reported in January 2010 that beginning in the summer of 2009, AHIP had begun funding anti-healthcare reform commercials through a 3rd party source — even while they were publicly saying they were still supportive.

http://undertheinfluence.natio…  

In the debate Friday, Congressman Lynch said that insurance companies opposed health care reform “until they got rid of the public option.” That’s a false statement. The public option was dead well before March 18th, and yet AHIP still opposed the bill.

Congressman Lynch also said you “didn’t seen any commercials” after the public option was stripped out. That may or may not be true — but saying there weren’t any commercials is NOT the same thing as AHIP supporting the bill.

Congressman Lynch also stated that “they were all onboard,” referring to the insurance companies. Again, as you can see from their press release, AHIP was not on board with the bill passed on March 21st.

INCORRECT STATEMENT # 2: “Now they are saying there are no net savings over the next 10 years.”

The Quotes:

Mac D’Alessandro: “You can’t say that it does nothing to reduce costs.”

Congressman Lynch: “Now they are saying there are no net savings over the next 10 years…you just need to update — that’s an old argument.” (referencing the CBO).

The Facts:

The most recent communication from the CBO regarding the cost savings of the health care bill came out on August 24th, 2010.

http://www.cbo.gov/publication… (click on the August 24th link).

In that letter, the CBO states:

“First, we can confirm the estimate of the overall impact on the federal budget of the major health care legislation enacted in March. Specifically, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or PPACA (Public Law 111-148) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152) will produce $143 billion in net budgetary savings over the 2010-2019 period.1 That figure includes $124 billion in net savings for the health and revenue provisions of both laws and $19 billion in net savings for the education provisions of the Reconciliation Act.”

When Congressman Lynch claimed that the CBO said there was no net savings over the next 10 years, he was wrong.

It’s hard to defend a vote as bad as the one Stephen Lynch took on March 21st, but he ought to at least be honest with the voters about the facts when he tries to do so. And the facts are clear: Stephen Lynch voted against a health care reform bill that is going to bring insurance coverage to 32 million Americans while lowering the federal deficit — just like the insurance companies wanted him to.