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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Could Kansans ‘Opt-Out’ of ‘Obamacare’?

A conservative group wrongly claimed that a failed state proposal would have given Kansans the right to “opt-out” of the federal health care law’s mandate to have health insurance. But the measure would have been meaningless. Federal law is the “supreme Law of the Land,” according to the U.S. Constitution.
For more on the mailers, which attacked moderate Republican state lawmakers and praised conservative members of the party, see our Aug. 3 story “Mailers Mislead on ‘Obamacare’ Opt-Out Amendment.”

Mailers Mislead on ‘Obamacare’ Opt-Out Amendment

Mailers Mislead on ‘Obamacare’ Opt-Out Amendment

A conservative group misleads Kansas voters in campaign mailers that claim a failed proposal to amend the state’s Constitution would have allowed residents to opt-out of “Obamacare.”
No state law can do that. The U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause explicitly states that federal law is the “supreme Law of the Land.”
The proposed Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment, like several similar state proposals and laws, declared that no law can compel Kansans to buy health insurance or require them to pay a fine for lacking it.

Who Pays 75 Percent of Health Care Law’s Taxes?

A Republican talking point falsely claims that the Congressional Budget Office found 75 percent of the federal health care law’s taxes would be paid by those earning less than $120,000 a year. CBO didn’t say that. Instead, it found 76 percent of those paying the mandate penalty would earn under that amount.
For more on this claim, see “Twisting Health Care Taxes,” our July 23 item.

Biggest Tax Increase in History?

Critics of the health care law have claimed that it’s the biggest tax increase in history. But that could only be true in raw dollars. When adjusted for inflation — or better yet, as a percentage of gross domestic product — several other tax increases just since 1968 are larger.
For a fuller explanation, see our July 10 Ask FactCheck, “Biggest Tax Increase in History?“

Twisting Health Care Taxes

Twisting Health Care Taxes

Republicans are twisting the facts on taxes in the Affordable Care Act, grossly overstating the impact on families or lower-income earners.
In what has become a Republican talking point, several GOP lawmakers have wrongly claimed that a Congressional Budget Office report said that 75 percent of the federal health care law’s taxes would be paid by those earning less than $120,000 a year. That’s not what the CBO said. It found that 76 percent of those who would pay the penalty for not having insurance in 2016 would earn under $120,000.

If You Like Your Plan …

After the Supreme Court’s ruling on the federal health care law, President Obama repeated his claim that for Americans “who already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance.” But Obama can’t make that promise for everyone. At least a few million workers won’t keep their current plans.
Read more about Romney’s and President Obama’s false and misleading claims made after the high court’s ruling in our June 28 article, “Romney, Obama Uphold Health Care Falsehoods.”

Biggest Tax Increase in History?

Q: Is the new health care law “the biggest tax increase in history”?

A: In raw dollars, perhaps. But several tax increases just since 1968 were larger as percentages of the economy, or in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Post-Supreme Court Spin

Shortly after the Supreme Court upheld the federal health care law’s constitutionality on June 28, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney wrongly said the law “puts the federal government between you and your doctor.” The law doesn’t create a government-run medical system.
Read more about Romney’s and President Obama’s false and misleading claims made after the high court’s ruling in our June 28 article, “Romney, Obama Uphold Health Care Falsehoods.”

Taxes on ‘Sick Puppies’?

The National Republican Congressional Committee claims the federal health care law taxes “sick puppies,” but that’s a big stretch. No puppies are taxed by the law. Instead, the reference is to a tax on medical devices.
For more, see our June 19 story, “NRCC: ‘Obamacare’ Taxes Sick Puppies.”

Romney, Obama Uphold Health Care Falsehoods

Romney, Obama Uphold Health Care Falsehoods

With the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act on June 28, voters are guaranteed to continue hearing the same old false claims about the law from politicians. And President Barack Obama and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney wasted little time …