PolitiFact acknowledges GOP proposal would end Medicare 'as we know it'

[ProSense]

PolitiFact acknowledges GOP proposal would end Medicare 'as we know it'

by Jed Lewison

Via Steve Benen, PolitiFact is hopping mad at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for its new ad calling out Republicans for voting to end Medicare, giving it the "dreaded" pants-on-fire designation.

Specifically, PolitiFact says it's unfair to accuse Republicans of ending Medicare because their vote was merely an expression of a policy preference:

The Republicans voted on a budget resolution that states policy preferences, but the vote did not actually change Medicare, much less end it.

Uh, okay. Except the ad didn't accuse Republicans of actually accomplishing their goal of ending Medicare. It accused them of "voting to end Medicare." In other words, it accused them of stating a policy preference.

In addition, PolitiFact is ticked off that the ad claims the Republican plan would require seniors to pay $12,500 for health care coverage.

That number is based on statistics compiled by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The ad doesn’t mention, though, that the number includes money that would go to Medicare in any case. The CBO estimates beneficiaries would contribute about $6,150 in premiums in 2022 if the program isn’t changed at all. So the extra money seniors need to pay under the Republican proposal is more like $6,350.

So...PolitiFact agrees that the CBO estimated seniors would pay $12,500 under the GOP plan, as the ad asserted. They just think the ad should have gone the extra mile and explain that the report estimates seniors would only be paying $6,350 more than they would have otherwise. But the ad didn't say seniors would have to pay $12,500 more. It said they would have to pay $12,500 total, which is completely accurate.

And finally, PolitiFact thinks it's unfair to describe the GOP proposal as being designed to "end Medicare." But quoting from their own analysis:

The Republican proposal will end the aspect of Medicare that directly covers specific services, such as hospital coverage. ... Democrats, including Obama, have said the plan would end Medicare "as we know it," a critical qualifier. But the 30-second ad from the DCCC makes a sweeping claim without that important qualifier .

I'm tempted to just leave it there, with no further explanation, but I can't resist.

PolitiFact appears to be resting its entire case on a severe case of parsing and the fact that the GOP proposal wouldn't change Medicare's name. Still, even PolitiFact acknowledges that the GOP plan would fundamentally change what Medicare does, replacing it with subsidized private insurance administered by the Office of Personnel Management, a completely different agency than currently runs Medicare.

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[Tx4obama]

1. Don't miss Politifacts 'mailbag' article regarding the letters they got re Dem medicare ad rating

Medicare mailbag: mixed metaphor edition
http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2011/apr/21/medicare-dccc-republican-ad/

[vaberella]

2. This can't be true. A DUer told me it's more progressive than current medicare. n/t