Truth Watch: Health Care Reform TV Ad

By Political Reporter Marshall Zelingerm.zelinger@krdo.comFollow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mzelinger

COLORADO SPRINGS – With the ongoing health care debate, NEWSCHANNEL 13 is committed to keeping both sides honest.

Currently airing on NEWSCHANNEL 13 is an ad for health care reform entitled “Means For You”. “Americans For Stable Quality Care” paid for the ad. According to the “Americans For Stable Quality Care” website:

“Americans For Stable Quality Care” gets funding from PhRMA, The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. According to PhRMA’s website:

According to campaign contribution records on the Colorado Secretary of State website, PhRMA has contributed to dozens of campaigns in the last 15 years. PhRMA contribution recipients include Former Republican Governor Bill Owens, Former Democratic Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff, the Colorado Republican Committee and the State Democratic Senate Campaign Fund.

Now that you know who’s behind the ad, what about the content of the ad itself?

POLITICAL AD: “What does health insurance reform mean for you? It means you can’t be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition…”

NEWSCHANNEL 13Truth Watch: TRUE

There are two health care bills currently before Congress; House Bill H.R. 3200 “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009” and a Senate version entitled “Affordable Health Choices Act”.

Both bills have provisions that prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions.

On page 19 of the House Bill:

To understand what this means, you need to know what section 2701 (b)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act details. Essentially, that section of the Public Health Service Act defines what a pre-existing condition exclusion means.

On page 7 of the Senate Bill:

POLITICAL AD: “…or dropped if you get sick.”

NEWSCHANNEL 13Truth Watch: TRUE, BUT NEEDS CONTEXT

The House and Senate bill reference above have provisions to guarantee availability and renewal of your coverage. In the House bill, the reference is on Page 20 (SEC. 112. GUARANTEED ISSUE AND RENEWAL FOR INSURED PLANS).

In the Senate bill, the reference is on pages 9 and 10 (SEC. 2702. GUARANTEED AVAILABILITY OF COVERAGE, SEC. 2703. GUARANTEED RENEWABILITY OF COVERAGE).

While these provisions would be in place, there are circumstances you can be dropped from health coverage. According to the Public Health Service Act, (which earlier defined “pre-existing conditions”) there are exceptions to having your renewal guaranteed. Those exceptions include failure to pay your premium, fraud, violation of your plan’s rules and if your insurance company chooses to no longer offer coverage in your area.

POLITICAL AD: “It means putting health care decisions in the hands of you and your doctor.”

NEWSCHANNEL 13Truth Watch: OPINION

A representative with PhRMA could not provide any factual information for this statement. NEWSCHANNEL 13 will not speculate as to what could be implied. In all medical decisions, however, you have the final say about your health needs.

NEWSCHANNEL 13Truth Watch: CLAIRIFCATION NEEDED/SAVINGS UNCLEAR

Without knowing how much you currently pay for health insurance, it’s impossible to say whether or not health care reform would mean lower costs for you personally. The way the House and Senate bills are written, there are formulas built into the legislation to limit out-of-pocket costs, but that would be based on what tier of coverage you sign up for. Without knowing the specific costs of each tier, it’s impossible to quantify your out-of-pocket costs.

NEWSCHANNEL 13Truth Watch: OPINION

The statement is opinion. Your definition of “waste” and “red tape” may be different from another person’s opinion. The statement also implies a negative connotation of current health coverage. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “waste” as “to spend or use carelessly”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “Red Tape” as a “procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction”. Again, PhRMA did not provide any factual information to support the statements made in this political ad.

NEWSCHANNEL 13Truth Watch: OPINION, WITH SOME TRUTH

The bills in front of Congress currently would create a prevention task force.

According to the House bill, the prevention task force would be responsible for the following:

Identify clinical preventive services Review the scientific evidence related to the benefits, effectiveness, appropriateness, and costs of clinical preventive services for the purpose of developing, updating, publishing, and disseminating evidence-based recommendations on the use of such services Take into account health disparities in developing, updating, publishing, and disseminating evidence-based recommendations on the use of such services Identify gaps in clinical preventive services research and evaluation and recommend priority areas for such research and evaluation Consult with the clinical prevention stakeholders board

The House bill also details billions of dollars that would be provided yearly for grants and other programs dealing with preventative health and wellness.

According to the Senate bill, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would plan and implement a national public-private partnership for prevention and health promotion outreach.

NEWSCHANNEL 13Truth Watch: OPINION