“Under Obama, Average Family Premiums Have Increased $4,154”

[Newell Steamer]

“Under Obama, Average Family Premiums Have Increased $4,154”

– Republican National Committee tweet and “fact check”

Here is the link to the "fact check"; http://rncresearch.tumblr.com/post/108696375165/sotu-fact-check-obamacare-premiums-under-obama

But if you dig into the 2014 Kaiser report, you see that two things happened. First, the rate of premium increases has slowed compared to previous years. Second, the RNC changed the baseline to make Obama’s numbers look even worse. (Perhaps that was in response to the sudden slowdown in premium increases?)

To come up with $4,154, the RNC has to reach all the way back to 2008, the year before Obama took the oath of office. Never mind that it previously had measured the increase starting in 2010. Under the RNC’s previous baseline, the increase would have just been $3,064. But it would actually make more sense to have a baseline starting in 2011, so you are capturing what happened after at least some of the Obamacare provisions went into effect; that’s an increase of $1,761.

Kris Anderson, research director of the RNC ,said the 2008 baseline was taken “to encompass the growth in premiums across [Obama's] entire term.” He said “it’s the metric we’ve used for quite some time for examining how premiums have grown during his entire time in office.: he did not explain why a different baseline was used for the 2012 ad.

Regular readers know that The Fact Checker is often dubious about raw numbers that appear to have little context. Health-care premiums, like the costs of most goods, go up year after year. What matters is the rate of increase — and right now, health-care inflation is at its lowest rate in decades.

So the RNC has managed to take a good-news story and tried to turn it into something negative. That alone would result in another Three Pinocchios. But in order to make the numbers look even worse, the RNC changed the baseline and went all the way back to a year before Obama became president. That’s worthy of Four Pinocchios.

Is it a small thing to ask that we finally put this zombie stat to rest?

Here are some deets on the Pinocchio 'rating'; http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/about-the-fact-checker/#pinocchio

One Pinocchio
Some shading of the facts. Selective telling of the truth. Some omissions and exaggerations, but no outright falsehoods.

Two Pinocchios
Significant omissions and/or exaggerations. Some factual error may be involved but not necessarily. A politician can create a false, misleading impression by playing with words and using legalistic language that means little to ordinary people.

Three Pinocchios
Significant factual error and/or obvious contradictions.

Four Pinocchios Which is where this 'fact' from RNC sits,..
Whoppers.

 

[thraashman]

Anyone dumb enough to vote Republican is also dumb enough to not accept factual numbers when presented with them. And you have to be really fucking dumb to vote Republican.

 

[OverVolt]

Yea well mine increased. At the end of the day the ACA plans have really bad coverage. Poor networks, high deductibles, lots of co-insurance or the best one, IMO, is the availability of plans where there are practically no doctors who take them in your area.

You're just making an ass out of yourself. Everyone knows insurance premiums didn't rise $4,154. You're just picking the easiest argument to beat up on to make yourself look better but you honestly don't know much about the ACA the way you cheerlead for it all the time.

Your post would imply the ACA is the greatest thing ever when all you really want to do is beat up on republicans. The ACA is really secondary, so long as you are factually "right" never mind if the law is actually helping people as it promised or not...

If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. If you like your plan you can keep your plan. Hows that for a fact check?

 

[IGBT]

the obama care mud slide of premium hikes and taxes will hit in 2018 when ebola is out of office.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Everyone knows insurance premiums didn't rise $4,154.

,... unless you are The GOP's Premier Institution For Political Research And Rapid Response.

But, of course you are trying to shoot the messenger,.. because that will totally help and establish how much of a credible and reliable person you are - thus validating your views on this matter.

 

[Brovane]

Yea well mine increased. At the end of the day the ACA plans have really bad coverage. Poor networks, high deductibles, lots of co-insurance or the best one, IMO, is the availability of plans where there are practically no doctors who take them in your area.

You're just making an ass out of yourself. Everyone knows insurance premiums didn't rise $4,154. You're just picking the easiest argument to beat up on to make yourself look better but you honestly don't know much about the ACA the way you cheerlead for it all the time.

Your post would imply the ACA is the greatest thing ever when all you really want to do is beat up on republicans. The ACA is really secondary, so long as you are factually "right" never mind if the law is actually helping people as it promised or not...

If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. If you like your plan you can keep your plan. Hows that for a fact check?

That is all great but what is your solution to the issues with the way healthcare is delivered in the United States?

 

[QuantumPion]

My family coverage went up 100% this year (yes, doubled). This is a HDHP with HSA.

 

[rudeguy]

And whatever you do, please don't figure in the amount that copays and deductibles went up. Also don't look at how much the cost of prescriptions went up.

What happens when you look at how much health care actually costs a family? Not just the twisted numbers?

 

[OverVolt]

And whatever you do, please don't figure in the amount that copays and deductibles went up. Also don't look at how much the cost of prescriptions went up.

What happens when you look at how much health care actually costs a family? Not just the twisted numbers?

Yea I'm pretty sure I don't need a news article to determine if a number went up or down for me.

 

[Matt1970]

Unless they went down $2500 on average, the lie is on Obama. Unless everyone was allowed to keep their doctor, the lie is on Obama. Unless everyone was allowed to keep their insurance, the lie is on Obama.

 

[werepossum]

Unless they went down $2500 on average, the lie is on Obama. Unless everyone was allowed to keep their doctor, the lie is on Obama. Unless everyone was allowed to keep their insurance, the lie is on Obama.

All right you, no looking at the man behind the curtain!

 

[Matt1970]

All right you, no looking at the man behind the curtain!

The hypocrisy here is mind boggling.

 

[rudeguy]

The hypocrisy here is mind boggling.

Its not even hypocrisy. Its denying the truth, trying to convince other people that the sky is green, then attacking anyone who dares to correct you.

When its the usual political stuff, that's one thing. But when its life and death things like this I get really mad. Every single idiot who supports and defends this law is either ignorant or is denying reality.

I'm stepping out of this thread because this subject is too close to home for me. These politicians and the morons who support them are fucking with my son's life and well being, just to further their agendas. Fuck whoever's life gets worse, fuck the hard working people who are paying for it, fuck the lies we told over and over again....

Fuck them all.

 

[dphantom]

Anyone dumb enough to vote Republican is also dumb enough to not accept factual numbers when presented with them. And you have to be really fucking dumb to vote Republican.

You are such an angry person and so judgmental. Isn't progressivism supposed to be more about inclusion and acceptance of our differences?

 

[OverVolt]

Rudeguy has a kid with an insulin pump if anyone was wondering. And now a moment of silence for rudeguys health insurance policy and paper workload. I don't even use health insurance and all I can think is "thank god I'm not sick" cause it would increase the stress 10 fold.

 

[Newell Steamer]

You are such an angry person and so judgmental. Isn't progressivism supposed to be more about inclusion and acceptance of our differences?

Maybe we should take some lessons from the Right??

Its not even hypocrisy. Its denying the truth, trying to convince other people that the sky is green, then attacking anyone who dares to correct you.

When its the usual political stuff, that's one thing. But when its life and death things like this I get really mad. Every single idiot who supports and defends this law is either ignorant or is denying reality.

I'm stepping out of this thread because this subject is too close to home for me. These politicians and the morons who support them are fucking with my son's life and well being, just to further their agendas. Fuck whoever's life gets worse, fuck the hard working people who are paying for it, fuck the lies we told over and over again....

Fuck them all.

Go Rightie, go Rightie, go Rightie,.. go go go!

 

[thraashman]

You are such an angry person and so judgmental. Isn't progressivism supposed to be more about inclusion and acceptance of our differences?

I am neither angry nor judgmental, but certain stupidity does anger me. I've just learned that in order to vote Republican a certain amount of hatred of minorities, women, lgbt, the poor, and general intelligence is required. The fact that Republicans keep fucking up the country and then right as Democrats manage to undo some of their fuck ups, the dumbest part of the populace comes out to put the Republicans back in power, does make me angry. Just like those who get people killed through their decision not to vaccinate makes me angry. Voting for Republicans, much like not vaccinating your kids, puts the health of everyone at risk. And choosing to do something stupid when it can mean the health and well-being of others, is something we should all be angry about.

 

[shira]

Its not even hypocrisy. Its denying the truth, trying to convince other people that the sky is green, then attacking anyone who dares to correct you.

When its the usual political stuff, that's one thing. But when its life and death things like this I get really mad. Every single idiot who supports and defends this law is either ignorant or is denying reality.

I'm stepping out of this thread because this subject is too close to home for me. These politicians and the morons who support them are fucking with my son's life and well being, just to further their agendas. Fuck whoever's life gets worse, fuck the hard working people who are paying for it, fuck the lies we told over and over again....

Fuck them all.

Oh, look, another truthy conservative. Perhaps a quote from the story will really light your fire:

Citing Kasier Family Foundation numbers, Kessler noted:

In the past five years (2009 to 2014), the increase has been 26 percent, compared to 34 percent in the preceding five-year period. If you want to compare presidents, the rate of increase in Obama’s first five years was 26 percent, compared to 66 percent in the first five years of George W. Bush’s presidency.

But you just know that it's lefty politicians that are "fucking with your son's life and wellbeing." Lefty politicians are bad, bad, bad. Righty politicians are good, good, good. You just know it.

 

[Brovane]

Rudeguy has a kid with an insulin pump if anyone was wondering. And now a moment of silence for rudeguys health insurance policy and paper workload. I don't even use health insurance and all I can think is "thank god I'm not sick" cause it would increase the stress 10 fold.

Which is kind of absurb him getting all bent out of shape. If you take a step back and thought about the people with no health insurance with a kid that requires a insulin pump but they made to much money to qualify for medicaid. The old health insurance policies made it impossible to get yourself insured if you had pre-existing conditions.

 

[Blanky]

I was somewhat against aca before. I now think it didn't go far enough.

Insurance industry needs to be put under the knife.

 

[Exterous]

And whatever you do, please don't figure in the amount that copays and deductibles went up. Also don't look at how much the cost of prescriptions went up.

What happens when you look at how much health care actually costs a family? Not just the twisted numbers?

While somewhat off topic of the 'fact checking' this would seem to be an important question. So I looked and the deductibles are up ~50% over the last 4 years

 

[theeedude]

RNC, lol.

 

[OverVolt]

Which is kind of absurb him getting all bent out of shape. If you take a step back and thought about the people with no health insurance with a kid that requires a insulin pump but they made to much money to qualify for medicaid. The old health insurance policies made it impossible to get yourself insured if you had pre-existing conditions.

He actually got him a pump before the ACA to my knowledge.....derp

 

[OverVolt]

Oh, look, another truthy conservative. Perhaps a quote from the story will really light your fire:

Citing Kasier Family Foundation numbers, Kessler noted:



But you just know that it's lefty politicians that are "fucking with your son's life and wellbeing." Lefty politicians are bad, bad, bad. Righty politicians are good, good, good. You just know it.

You truly are a moron. I already knew but sometimes it surprises me. I'm not even sick and all these changes to my health insurance in the individual market has been really stressful. Its also been stressful for a couple small business owners that I know.

At first they were pleased until they got two papers, one saying they got a subsidy and the other saying they didn't get a subsidy and it messed their business taxes all up.

You are working some cubicle job, with employer insurance the whole time. The extent of trouble this law gave you is you had to file a 1040 A and check two boxes on your taxes this year. I know. Where as rudeguy had a temp job and a sick son. Which one do you think is actually dealing with the ACA? This is what political thinking does to your brain. You're an asshole man. You have no skin in the game, you come in here and you opine from your job you had 10 years how great the ACA is because its what your political party tells you to think. You're easy to read because you don't think.

You've: had the same employer insurance for a long time, and are a democrat. Great any other insight into the ACA you have to offer considering your vast experience in dealing with it?

 

[cliftonite]

You truly are a moron. I already knew but sometimes it surprises me. I'm not even sick and all these changes to my health insurance in the individual market has been really stressful. Its also been stressful for a couple small business owners that I know.

At first they were pleased until they got two papers, one saying they got a subsidy and the other saying they didn't get a subsidy and it messed their business taxes all up.

You are working some cubicle job, with employer insurance the whole time. The extent of trouble this law gave you is you had to file a 1040 A and check two boxes on your taxes this year. I know. Where as rudeguy had a temp job and a sick son. Which one do you think is actually dealing with the ACA? This is what political thinking does to your brain. You're an asshole man. You have no skin in the game, you come in here and you opine from your job you had 10 years how great the ACA is because its what your political party tells you to think. You're easy to read because you don't think.

You've: had the same employer insurance for a long time, and are a democrat. Great any other insight into the ACA you have to offer considering your vast experience in dealing with it?

This plan is around $480 per month in MI with 3k max out of pocket (http://apps.humana.com/marketing/documents.asp?file=2341976). Doesn't seem so bad?