Daily Archives: 18 February 2015

NLMSM Strikes Again

Posted on by
Reply

Leading off an APNewsbreak piece Monday about how top Democrats want an extension to the sign-up period for Obamacare is this image:AP_3

The image is captioned [emphasis added]

In this Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 photo, a laptop shows the HealthCare.com web site during an Affordable Care Act enrollment event at the Fort Worth Public Library in Fort Worth, Texas. For the second year in a row, millions of Americans have signed up for subsidized health insurance under President Barack Obama’s law. But as the 2015 sign-up season draws to a close Sunday, the future of the Affordable Care Act remains in doubt. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (The Associated Press)

Umm, no. That’s actually HealthCare.gov, the actual government-built (with your money, recall) ObamaMart portal for signing up for Obamacare. As the white field in the upper right corner of the page in the image clearly shows. Below, by the way, is what was being displayed last Monday on HealthCare.gov:AP_1

In fairness to the AP, even though their piece was datelined 16 Feb (the day after the signup period had expired), it likely was written Sunday, 15 Feb.

The image below is what the home page of HealthCare.com was displaying on 16 Feb. I have no idea of the legitimacy of HealthCare.com; use it at your own risk.AP_2

This sort of reporting has been all too typical of the NLMSM’s commentary regarding Obamacare, and it’s at the heart of the public’s confusion about Obamacare. This is no typo, nor is it particularly nefarious; it’s just sloppy reporting and non-existent editing.

HealthCare.com has this, in part, on their About Us page:

HealthCare.com is owned and operated by HealthCare, Inc. Since 2006, HealthCare.com has been committed to improving online healthcare for U.S. consumers making purchasing decisions.

Democrats and Those Pesky Laws

Posted on by
Reply

Three senior House members told The Associated Press that they plan to strongly urge the administration to grant a special sign-up opportunity for uninsured taxpayers who will be facing fines under the law for the first time this year.

The three are Michigan’s Sander Levin, the ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, and Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, and Lloyd Doggett of Texas. All worked to help steer Obama’s law through rancorous congressional debates from 2009-2010.

Because, voters. Because, law? That’s too inconvenient; just ignore it.

The Obamacare law—which Democrats have been trying to stifle debate about by insisting “It’s the law of the land”—specified the signup period. If these worthies want to change the signup period, they need to change the law—which they helped write this way—not ignore it.

The lawmakers say they are concerned that many of their constituents will find out about the penalties after it’s already too late for them to sign up for coverage, since open enrollment ended Sunday.

Wait, what? These Democrats haven’t been talking to their constituents about their responsibilities under these Democrats’ law? Not since 2010? At all!?

Oh, yeah. Voters.