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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Readers Talk Back on Insurance Costs

We received a number of e-mails after we said, in our article "Pushing for a Public Plan," that "the average monthly payment for workers with employer-sponsored coverage is … $280 for a family policy." It seems that a lot of you weren’t satisfied with the finding, which is from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
A sampling:
My Family policy with BCBS had a $500 [deductible] for all 3 members and my bill was $800 a month. We now have a group policy for all 5 members of our 2 optical shops,

The ‘Real’ Uninsured

Former Sen. Fred Thompson said on “Meet the Press” that “the 45 million … figure of uninsured is probably about twice the real number of people who can’t afford insurance or don’t have access to it really.” He’s not the only one saying that the number is inflated. We find …

June 24, 2009

Three days after launching the iPhone 3GS, Apple had sold more than 1 million units.
Source: Apple

Pushing for a Public Plan

Liberal groups have hit TV and radio with ads praising the idea of a public health insurance plan, an option that President Obama and other Democrats support as part of changes to the health care system. But the ads lack context and could well mislead the public: A TV ad …

500 Percent Ammo Tax?

Q: Is Obama planning to increase the federal tax on gun ammunition by 500 percent?
A: No such proposal has been made by the Obama administration. And nobody in Congress has introduced any bill to increase the 11 percent federal excise tax on ammo.

June 23, 2009

The first U.S. Open Championship was held in October 1895 on the nine-hole golf course of Rhode Island’s Newport Golf and Country Club.
Source: United States Golf Association

June 22, 2009

The voting age in Iran is 18.
Source: CIA World Factbook

Al Gore’s Mansion

Q: Is it true that Al Gore’s mansion uses significantly more energy than the typical home?
A: The main claim in a chain e-mail was true when the original message began making the rounds in 2007. Since then, the Gores have made several changes to their home.

June 21, 2009

The literacy rate in Iran is estimated at 77 percent (83.5 percent for men and 70.4 percent for women).
Source: CIA World Factbook

June 20, 2009

The word "solstice" comes from Latin and means "sun stands still."
Source: National Geographic