U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Radio Ad Leaves The Truth Behind

Chamber Of Commerce Is Wrong On The Loss Of Insurance

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ad: "It's coming down the tracks.  Washington's latest reform idea.  A trillion dollar health care experiment, with a government-run health care plan.  It's on the fast track. What don't they want us to know?  Maybe it's that 88 million Americans could lose their employer-based health insurance and be forced into the government-run plan." [U.S. Chamber of Commerce Radio Ad, 8/12/09]

House Bill Allows For Continuation Of Current Coverage.  According to PolitiFact.com: "The House bill allows for existing policies to be grandfathered in, so that people who currently have individual health insurance policies will not lose coverage." [PolitiFact.com, 7/22/09]

The 88 million figure comes from the Lewin Group, a soundly discredited "research" firm.

The Lewin Group Is Owned By "One Of The Nation's Largest Insurers."  The Washington Post reported that "the Lewin Group is wholly owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest insurers." [Washington Post, 7/22/09]

• UnitedHealth And Ingenix Used Skewed "Data To Under-Reimburse Its Own Policyholders." During testimony given during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, John D. Rockefeller, IV said: "Everywhere experts have looked at this data, they have found what statisticians call a 'downward skew' in the numbers. For ten years or even longer, this skewed data was used to stick consumers with billions of dollars that the insurance industry should have been paying. Ingenix markets two 'usual and customary' database products that every major payer in the health insurance industry used to calculate their reimbursement payments. Ingenix is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mr. Hemsley's company, UnitedHealth Group. UnitedHealth not only owns Ingenix, but it also used the skewed Ingenix data to under-reimburse its own policyholders." [Commerce.Senate.gov, 3/31/09]

Lewin Group Studies Buried If Insurance Industry Clients Are Not Happy With Findings.  According to the Washington Post, "not all of the firm's reports see the light of day. For example, a study for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association was never released, Sheils said. 'Let's just say, sometimes studies come out that don't show exactly what the client wants to see. And in those instances, they have [the] option to bury the study -- to not release it, rather,' Sheils said." [Washington Post, 7/22/09]

Lewin VP: Sen. Schumer's Plan Would Result In Only 10-12 Million People Moving To The Public Option.  According to NPR, Lewin Vice President Shiels "did add that in general, the mood in Congress seems to be moving toward a more constrained sort of public insurance program; most likely one that would pay somewhat more than Medicare and limit enrollment. For example, Sheils says, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York 'has a plan which would require the public program to pay private payer rates - the same rates that other private insurers have to pay - and under that scenario we get only between 10 and 12 million people dropping private coverage.'" [NPR, All Things Considered, 6/10/09]

Chamber Of Commerce Is Wrong On Tax Increases

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ad: "Or how about the $500 billion in tax increases, even on health care benefits." [U.S. Chamber of Commerce Radio Ad, 8/12/09] 

The Tax On Insurance Would Only Apply To The Ultra-Wealthy.  Reuters reported: "the insurance tax could offer a way to mollify those who oppose the tax on the wealthy as currently structured to start at joint incomes of $350,000 a year. This would raise $544 billion in 10 years. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated she would like the House's proposed income tax surcharge on the wealthy to start at $1 million in joint annual income." [Reuters, 7/29/09]

Millionaire Wants Tax Increase And Encourages "Other Wealthy Americans To Sign A Tax-Me Petition."  According to the Christian Science Monitor: "Raise my taxes, says millionaire Chuck Collins. The scion of the Oscar Mayer family supports a House panel's healthcare plan that would boost taxes for families earning more than $350,000 a year. He also advocates ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich right away, rather than when they expire at the start of 2011, and closing foreign tax havens to Americans. Although the financial burden would be sizable, Mr. Collins is busy urging other wealthy Americans to sign a tax-me petition." [Christian Science Monitor, 8/11/09]

Obama "Might Be Open" To A Tax On The Most Expensive Plans, But Has Made No Commitment.  According to the Washington Post, "Obama, after opposing a tax on benefits during the campaign, has signaled he might be open to the more limited version now being discussed, a tax on only the most costly of plans." [Washington Post, 7/30/09]

Chamber Of Commerce Is Wrong On Cost

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ad: "And the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the federal deficit will increase by $239 billion.  Big tax increases, runaway deficits, expanded government control over your health care." [U.S. Chamber of Commerce Radio Ad, 8/12/09]

CBO Director: Long Term Projections Difficult To Predict Accurately.  During a question and answer period following his testimony in front of the Senate Budget Committee, CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf said: "But it is very hard to look out over a very long term and say very accurate things about growth rates.  So most health experts that we talk with focus particularly on what is happening over the next 10 or 20 years, still a pretty long time period for projections..." [Hearing on CBO Long-Term Budget Outlook, 7/16/09]

CBO: House Bill Would Increase Revenue By $83 Billion And Result In A $65 Billion Net Increase In The Federal Deficit Over Ten Years.  In its letter to Chairman Rangel, the Congressional Budget Office wrote: "According to CBO's and JCT's assessment, enacting H.R. 3200 would result in a net increase in the federal budget deficit of $239 billion over the 2010-2019 period.  That estimate reflects a projected 10-year cost of the bill's insurance coverage provisions of $1,042 billion, partly offset by net spending changes that CBO estimates would save $219 billion over the same period, and by revenue provisions that JCT estimates would increase federal revenues by about $583 billion over those 10 years.  By the end of the 10-year period, in 2019, the coverage provisions would add $202 billion to the federal deficit, CBO and JCT estimate.  That increase would be partially offset by net cost savings of $50 billion and additional revenues of $86 billion, resulting in a net increase in the deficit of an estimated $65 billion. It is important to note that the figures presented here do not represent a complete cost estimate for the coverage provisions of the legislation." [CBO.gov, 7/17/09; emphasis added]

Chamber Of Commerce Is Wrong On What Americans Want

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ad: "Call Congress at 202-225-3121.  Tell them to put the brakes on a government-run health care plan.  Tell them, 'let's reform health care the right way.'  Paid for by the United States Chamber of Commerce Campaign for Responsible Health Care Reform." [U.S. Chamber of Commerce Radio Ad, 8/12/09]

Nearly 3/4 Of Americans Think Reform Will Help Families.  During a poll conducted from July 31-August 3, 2009 by CNN found that 74% of respondents answered that current health care reform proposals would either help their own or other families while only 20% answered that reform wouldn't help anyone. [CNN.com, 8/5/09]

The Vast Majority Of Americans Think Drastic Changes Need To Be Made To The U.S. Health Care Delivery System.  During a CNN poll conducted from July 31-August 3, 2009, 77% of Americans responded that "it is necessary to make major structural changes in the nation's health care system in order to make sure that all Americans have health insurance," and 74% of Americans answered that "it is necessary to make major structural changes in the nation's health care system in order to reduce health care costs." [CNN.com, 8/5/09]

Update: The Chamber of Commerce has produced a television ad with a very similar script to the radio ad above.