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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDkos: Where is Cathy McMorris Rodgers' ObamaCare victim 'Bette in Spokane'?
We have limited information about Bette - she is a woman who lives in Spokane, Washington - but that's enough to do some research. We don't know her age, so I used the worst-case (for premiums) of 64, and while we don't know her marital/family status, the statement offered was 'her premiums' so I'll first look at her cost as a single 64-year-old woman living in Spokane.
We now know enough to state that this claim makes no sense at all. If Bette is single, she can get a Gold plan for less than $700, and if she's married she would have to have been paying less than $136 per month for health insurance for 2 64-year-old people on the individual market - an obvious impossibility.
I ran the worst-case scenario: 64, no subsidy. What happens when parameters change?
Younger? Rates go down. At age 44, Bette pays $194/mo. for the same AmBetter Bronze policy in the first graphic above.
Lower income? Below $46,000/yr, a subsidy of at least $250/mo kicks in. And if Bette is married, look what happens to that subsidy at $62,000/yr income
So this claim just doesn't make sense no matter how hard I work the numbers. I suspect Politico would award it some Pinochios!
One other possibility is that Bette was one of about 8,000 Washington residents who, early in October, were given incorrect expected premium amounts due to a faulty calculator on the Washington Obamacare exchange web-site.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/29/1273347/-Where-is-Cathy-McMorris-Rodgers-ObamaCare-victim-Bette-in-Spokane
PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)teehee...
http://action.teapartyexpress.org/11483/delay-defund-obamacare/view/92
Bette M. from Ada (It says Michigan, but there is an Ada near Kettle Falls, McMoriss was probably confused)
FSogol
(45,524 posts)Gothmog
(145,489 posts)For her to exist, Rogers would have to be telling the truth. We know that republicans are not capable of telling the truth on this subject
flamingdem
(39,319 posts)and her history points to that too
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)voters. Never before in the history of this country would a politician use a blatant lie in the SOTU and know it wouldn't be challenged. And ofcourse, it isn't the first time. Several "news" shows have paraded so-called "victims" of the ACA on tv without even a rudimentary check of their story. It's disgusting and embarassing for our country.
This is a good example of just how bad things are. We have to win a majority soon and reverse these rules. That and change up
SCOTUS so they'll stop negating pro-voter legislation.