Fact Checking the GOP debate: $500 billion in cuts to Medicare? -- Two Pinocchio's

[steven johnson]

“Obamacare takes $500 billion out of Medicare and funds Obamacare.”

— Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, at the debate

“Senior citizens get this more than any other segment of our population, because they know in Obamacare the president of the United States took away $500 billion -- a half-trillion dollars -- out of Medicare, shifted it to Obamacare to pay for younger people. And it's senior citizens who have the most to lose in Obamacare."

— Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) at the GOP debate, June 13, 2011

The Pinocchio Test
Romney’s statement (and, to some extent, Boehner’s recent remark) fall in the category of technically correct but misleading. It’s rather rich for Republicans to complain about $500 billion in supposed cuts to Medicare that they themselves would retain, even under the cover of helping Medicare.

Bachmann’s statement is further off the mark because of her assertion that seniors would suffer at the hands of the youth. The Medicare savings in the health care law are aimed at providers, not seniors; meanwhile seniors stand to benefit from aspects of the health care law that Republicans want to repeal. On top of that, people younger than 55 might face significantly higher premiums under the GOP plan for Medicare. We’re giving her two Pinocchios.



Fact Checking the GOP debate: $500 billion in cuts to Medicare?

"The CBO, the Congressional Budget Office has said that Obamacare will kill 800,000 jobs."
Michele Bachmann, Monday, June 13th, 2011.

The 800,000 jobs number primarily comes from workers who choose not to work because they no longer have to work at jobs just for the health insurance. Here's how the CBO puts it.

"To the extent that changes in the health insurance system lead to improved health status among workers, the nation’s economic productivity could be enhanced," the CBO said in its report. "It is not clear, however, whether such changes would have a substantial impact on overall economic productivity or output. Moreover, many of the effects of the legislation may not be felt for several years because it will take time for workers and employers to recognize and to adapt to the new incentives."

Bachmann said the health care law "will kill 800,000 jobs." We find that's an exaggeration of what CBO said. There could be the equivalent of 800,000 fewer workers thanks to the federal health care law, according to the CBO, but not because employers wouldn't hire them. It's primarily because workers wouldn't have to work because the new law expands health care coverage. That means people working most for health insurance would either reduce their hours or leave the job market altogether. There could also be more economic productivity because of the health care law. Bachmann's statement leaves out so many qualifiers that it becomes misleading. We rate it Barely True.



Fact-checking the Republican debate in New Hampshire

In the first New Hampshire debate among 2012 presidential hopefuls, we found a number of incorrect, misleading or shaky factual claims:

•Romney claimed that "we didn't raise taxes in Massachusetts" to pay for his health care law. In fact, his successor imposed a $1-a-pack tax increase on cigarettes to pay for the new law.

•Santorum claimed a Medicare advisory board created by the new federal health care law will result in a rationing of care for seniors. The law specifically says the board "shall not include any recommendation to ration health care."

•Santorum was wrong when he said the Obama administration is "against any kind of exploration offshore or in Alaska." The administration has approved 296 new permits for new offshore oil wells since taking office, and it is considering granting the first permits in Alaska since 2004.

•Bachmann claimed the Congressional Budget Office "has said that Obamacare will kill 800,000 jobs." That's a distortion. CBO said some Americans would work less or leave their jobs if they can get health insurance outside the workplace.

•Pawlenty said that " Brazil can have 5% growth, then the United States of America can have 5% growth," showing his economic plan is not unreasonable. But the fact is, World Bank figures show Brazil has failed to achieve 5% growth for 23 of the past 30 years.

•Gingrich again tried to rewrite history by claiming that his words "right-wing social engineering" were "totally taken out of context." In fact, he called Paul Ryan's plan "too big a jump" and "radical" change as well.



Fact Check: The New Hampshire GOP Debate

[rurallib]

1. But the M$M will never, never tell the real story.