Vice President Joe Biden resurrected years-old, Democratic talking points on the Affordable Care Act and U.S. oil production during a recent speech in New Hampshire.
Biden Resurrects Bogus Talking Points
Issues: Affordable Care Act
Moving the Goalposts
President Obama says the Affordable Care Act is working “a little bit better than we anticipated,” based on the 11.4 million people who signed up for insurance on the exchanges. That’s better than the administration anticipated, but worse than a CBO projection.
Conflating Costs of the ACA
Q: Did the CBO say Obamacare will cost $50,000 for every person who is insured?
A: No. A newspaper calculated the cost at $50,000 per newly insured person. But that’s over 10 years and covers more than just the previously uninsured.
Slower Premium Growth Under Obama
Republicans say the average family health insurance premium has increased by $4,154 under President Obama. That’s right — and it’s a much slower rate of growth than under President George W. Bush.
Obama’s Numbers (January 2015 Update)
More jobs, higher paychecks, falling fuel prices: Our latest scorecard.
Return of the False Tax Claims
Every once in a while bogus emails get revised, recycled – and widely recirculated. That is happening now with a viral email that purports to list income tax increases that take effect this year.
Does ACA Give Incentive to Hire Immigrants?
Q: Did Obama’s executive actions on immigration include a $3,000 bonus to employers for each immigrant they hire instead of U.S. citizens?
A: Not exactly. In very limited cases, employers may avoid the Affordable Care Act’s penalty if they hire immigrants who are not eligible for health care subsidies. But the law bars employers from discriminating against employees based on eligibility.
The ACA-Gruber Connection
President Obama and Rep. Nancy Pelosi downplayed the contribution of MIT economist Jonathan Gruber to the Affordable Care Act, after controversial comments by Gruber came to light, while Republicans exaggerated his role.
The Great Premium Debate Continues
Rep. Michele Bachmann wrongly claims that we’re seeing “huge increases” in employer-sponsored plans, while President Obama touts historically low health care inflation, which experts say is mainly due to the slow economy, not the health care law.
Final Week Spin
With the midterm elections now just days away, many campaigns and outside groups are making their final appeals. And, as has been the case all election season, some of the claims miss the mark.