The Koch brothers are spreading lies about Obamacare.

The Koch brothers are spreading lies about Obamacare.

As Obamacare goes into effect, some states are getting creative with ads telling residents about the healthcare law's benefits. However, those ads will be running alongside a multi-million dollar misinformation campaign orchestrated by the Koch brothers. According to the Think Progress Blog, the conservative group Americans for Prosperity is spending a fortune on television ads aimed at turning Americans against the new healthcare law.

The group's first ad is called “Questions,” and it features a mother of two who tells viewers that she “has some questions about Obamacare.” Her so-called questions imply that under the Affordable Healthcare Act, she will be paying higher premiums and won't be able to select her family's doctor. The ad perpetuates myths that have been clearly debunked. As Think Progress points out, there is nothing in Obamacare that stops patients from choosing their own doctors, and people who get their insurance through their employer likely won't see any changes at all. And, while the Americans For Prosperity ad refers to higher healthcare premiums, we've seen insurance rates go down in states implementing the law – like California – and millions of Americans will qualify for subsidies to purchase healthcare through insurance exchanges.

In fact, it's Republican policies – like refusing to implement the law's Medicaid expansion – not Obamacare – that will leave some people uninsured. The constant misinformation from the Right is exactly why states like Oregon and New Jersey are working so hard to inform the public about the law's new benefits with their new television ads. However, thanks to the Koch brothers, Americans will have a difficult time sorting through the lies, and figuring out the real ways Obamacare will improve their lives.


bldegl's picture
bldegl 1 year 29 weeks ago

I don't understand why the Koch Brothers just don't tell the truth about Obamacare. It hurts unions.

If you think about it, if Obamcare hadn't hurt unions, then there is no way that Supreme Court Justice Roberts would of said it is "constitutional".

Then, you have the other part of it. Obama put off the parts of Obamacare untill after the 2014 midterms. He did that so he could get our votes and then screw us.


rbbrfish's picture
rbbrfish 1 year 29 weeks ago

The way I get it, unless you are "grandfathered in", you very well might be paying higher premiums. My health insurance is being cancelled at the end of the year (based on the requirements of the ACA, they say) and so I will not be grandfathered in. After talking with several providers there's a very good chance this new policy I will have to buy will be higher that my current (exhorbitant!) premiums.

This is not to reflect on the accuracy of the ads. Just that yes, there may be some who will be caught in the crunch. And no, there is no state pool where I live.

howardb4 1 year 29 weeks ago

it is incumbent for the Federal Government to see to it that the correct information is given to every adult American!!! They could take some of the money earmarked for the Egyptian Military regime to pay for the printing and mailing. It seems that Obama really has conspired either consciously or unconsciously, with his political adversaries, to see to it that there exists an opportunity for such conflict over what the Health care reform does and does not do. To some minds this conflict was planned. For what reason, is beyond me. But to assume the Administration is so stupid to allow this to go on....Well, maybe so.

American-Patriot's picture
American-Patriot 1 year 29 weeks ago

Someone has been blowing smoke up your @zz. My health insurance premium has already doubled, almost tripled because of obamacare.

American-Patriot's picture
American-Patriot 1 year 29 weeks ago

They are telling the truth.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 1 year 29 weeks ago

I've read a synopsis of the act. I don't like the fact that they changed it recently to postpone requiring large companies (greater than 50 employees) to provide insurance. I still don't know if they are going to postpone requiring the employees of these companies to acquire insurances as well. Anything less would not be fair. Many such companies, such as Walmart, McDonalds, and the Farm Industry will be required to pay more than they already pay their employees. I can see where there is a problem here; but, if china can manage to do so then so can we.

My other problem is why make this requirement stick with small business. This may endanger their survival on the 'free' market by imposing a burden that their competitors don't have. I don't like that. Other than that the Koch Brothers are lying as usual.

Actually, a good friend of mine is the owner of a very successful small business. He tells me that even though the Affordable Care Act will be a burden at first, he has looked at it very closely and believes that the burden will lead into a time where health care costs will be drastically reduced. He feels that it is a burden worth bearing. I trust his judgement!

ptg0's picture
ptg0 1 year 29 weeks ago

When you consider that prior to 1982, "for profit" health care was illegal, why didnt "democRATs" complain about raygun allowing this? Why didnt they complain when raygun ordered ALL taxpayer built and paid for, municipally owned health care facilities sold for pennies on the dollar to the FOR PROFIT health care cabal?

Then, the first thing obama does is assign a group of traitors calling themselves "blue dog" democRATs the job of figuring out how to force the failed raygun/republiCON FOR PROFIT health care farce on EVERYONE.

As far as I am concerned, republiCONs are only interested in screwing America and the scumbag democRATs are the enablers.

Both parties deserve nothing more than tar and feathers.

Someone mentioned that obama is a CIA plant. I agree. He is nothing more than just another bush of a different color. A lying, useless scumbag.

Neither parties represent America, they represent the oil cabal.

Kend's picture
Kend 1 year 29 weeks ago

How can your premiums not go up you are adding 30 million people to a health care system that is the population of Canada. In Canada Health care costs are half of our governments budget

I have said this may times, if you think health care is expensive now wait until its free. Then the real abuse starts.

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 1 year 29 weeks ago

I believe the Koch brothers are members of the same church that DAnneMarc referred to yesterday, what was it, the Synagogue of Satan? Anyway a few days ago mathboy brought up a point I've been screaming about since the early days of the push for health insurance reform......that is, why do we call health insurance reform, health care reform? This takes the focus off the health insurance crooks running their for profit scams. It makes it sound like doctors and hospitals need reforming. Reform implys the need for a correction or betterment and thanks to the corp. media every connotation but an accurate one has been used in reference to health insurance reform.

Thus the insurance crooks have avoided the public demonization of needing reform. Instead Obama is taking all the negative heat thanks to the Teabag terminology known as Obamacare. The Koch brothers are simply cashing in on this media created distraction that has cleverly shifted the focus away from the for profit insurance crooks.

The Health Insurance Reform Act making health insurance affordable for all is a great stepping stone to single payer and the economic sanity that will come with it.

kends wife's picture
kends wife 1 year 29 weeks ago

As Ken mentioned if you think health care is expensive now, wait until it's free. I want to expand on that. The only way to curb the cost of health care is to "ration" it. Of course it isn't call rationing, it's called waiting times. If you need to see your family doctor for a minor illness, it's relatively easy to get in. If you get deathly sick and need emergency care, you will be taken care of. However if your doctor doesn't know what is wrong with you and you need an MRI, an CT scan, or to see a specialist, you will be now going through the system. You can wait any time from 1 month - 18 months...yes 18 months to see a specialist. This is the only way they can save costs and that clearly is rationing. Get used to it, it's coming your way!!!

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 1 year 29 weeks ago

ptg0: excellent points....and I a definitely agree!

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 1 year 29 weeks ago

Get ready for a big surprise.........
.....SURPRISE! But is it really a surprise or a shocker? Does anyone have any idea what they are going to have to pay healthScare insurance companies after ObamaCare kicks in? If we all had a better idea of what each and every one of us will have to pay up front rather than waiting till after the law kicks in then we could all better assess whether this is a good or bad idea.

It's like how they run medical care don't have any idea what you are going to be charged for a doctor's care, or an operation, a hospital stay, or the medicine. They often end up itemizing every little thing overcharging for each Q-tips...or mouthwash.

Even if you have insurance you don't really know until you get the bill. Yes, with insurance, you know that you will have to pay maybe 20% or 30% after you pay for the deductibles. But 20% or 30% of what? You have no way to "shop around" for medical care and know who is the cheapest. There is no real competition. They surprise (rather...SHOCK) you with what you will end up owing someone for services rendered... after the fact.

How would you like to have to do all your shopping that way? You walk into a car dealer to buy a car and after you sign all the papers they tell you what the price is. How about buying your food in a supermarket? You sign a legal agreement, before you walk down the isles, that anything you take out of the store will be billed to you but no prices are posted on the items or shown on the cash register. You just have to pay whatever they say you owe when you get the bill.

There is nothing free-market about this medical and insurance scam!

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 1 year 29 weeks ago

kend's wife: People with money see that as a problem**...those without a lot of money see it as a way to survive. Those without a lot of money are the majority of the population. But those with money can use that money to get the timely medical attention they feel they need. Those without a lot of money cannot. Even a long delay in getting medical attention is better than not getting any at all.

Even the large corporations have, for many years now, tried to get rid of providing healthcare benefits for their employees. One way they have done this is to lay their workers off and then expect the workers to come back as independents without healthcare...or, they just send the jobs overseas. So, the numbers of uninsured are growing...they cannot afford the expensive premiums the healthcare insurance companies charge. They have no where else to turn if they need medical attention.

**Since the so-called "Reagan revolution" those who now have lots of money have it because, in part at least, they have been spoiled rotten by a corrupt system that favored them. Now it's time that the well-to-do selfish people give back. If they don't, well, history has shown that when you tick off the masses sufficiently, they will turn to violence.

PhilipHenderson's picture
PhilipHenderson 1 year 29 weeks ago

If Republicans were in the habit of speaking truthfully and caring about the public they would say that they love the Affordable Care Act. This was their idea. They nurtured it and brought it to life in Mass. They only stopped loving this method of resolving health issues when President Obama accepted it as a way to compromise with the Republicans. I prefer a single payer plan that eliminates Private Health Insurance companies. These companies are merely legalized bandits. They are the original death panels. Unlike the government, the executives at the major health insurance companies do not want to pay the legitimate medical expenses of the people covered by their policies. They want their customers to die quickly and quietly becasue it makes a bigger profit for the health insurance companies. I want to live long enough to see every health insurance company become bankrupt. They are bottom feeders who make profit on the misery of the people they promised to help in their time of need. Instead of helping their sick policy holders, they do everything possible to reject the claims and to cast off the policy holders forcing them to die without coverage for expensive treatment. Worse, now the people they dropped have "pre=existing conditions" so no one wants to cover the sick person. The Republicans do not hate the Affrodable Care Act, they hate President Obama. They despise him not because he is half African and all American, they hate him because he will not play their game. Obama will not help them steal from the public.

ProgressiveFrood 1 year 29 weeks ago

@Kend and Kends wife: You must have been watching Koch ads already. Your right-wing textbook sound bite is predictably misinformed.

Long wait times happen here. In the USA. With our current system. Ever tried to get an appointment with an ophthalmologist? Canada's system also has wait times. What is your point?

And the tired old canard of "free healthcare" is just silly. We pay for our healthcare — in the USA and in every other industrialized nation. However, in almost every other industrialized nation the cost is much lower for the same or better outcomes.

Free Market Health Care System: US cost per capita for health care in 2011? $8,608

Socialized, Single-Payer Health Care Systems: Canada? $5,630; France: $4,952; Germany: $4,875; United Kingdom: $3,609

Given the sucky free-market, profit-motivated health insurance system we have, adding more people into the system will bring costs DOWN for everyone. Unless the sucky, free-market, profit-motivated insurance companies use this opportunity to screw everyone even more.

Cost data from:

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 1 year 29 weeks ago

"Synagogue of Satan"? How about "Church of Satan" or "Mosque of Satan" or "Temple of Satan"? Or how about the "Bank of Satan"? Excuse me now...I feel that I am about to have another bout of "possession". Yes, Yes, here it comes...Arrgggaahhhaggaag! gnitaolf m'I.......noigel era eW.....gnignab si riahc ym won

Ok, it's gone!
Damn, I'm going to have to stop using that Ouija Board...or stop watching all that on-line nrop!

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 1 year 29 weeks ago

PhilipHenderson: Right on! I so agree with what you have said. Wouldn't it be super if we could destroy all of the healthScare insurance companies...while at the same time...crack down on exorbitant medical costs. It isn't just the insurance is all of the corporations who supply medical equipment..hospitals...doctors....and a lot of others who drive the costs way up. I certainly agree with a single payer system.

Cleaver62's picture
Cleaver62 1 year 29 weeks ago

I think one of the biggest crimes is that restaurants are cutting their employes hours to put them below the 30 hour threshold so they can avoid paying for employees health care. These cut backs are hurting the employees and the customers of the restaurants but not having enough help. Someone needs to do something about this and force employeers to supply health care to ALL their employees.

spankster1991's picture
spankster1991 1 year 28 weeks ago

Those people are already in the health care system. Your premiums now are paying for them to get health care even without insurance. There's no doubt that adding these people to the insurance rolls in a more transparent way will put pressure on the health care companies to reduce costs.

MMmmNACHOS's picture
MMmmNACHOS 1 year 28 weeks ago

Oh the tangled web we weave!

KEND'S WIFE...I'll take it!!! Had my 8 yr old daughter - Krissy - been able to see a specialist 12 years ago and get the treatment she needed, she would more than likely have survived her cancer. Unfortunatly, like the majority of Americans, my wife and I could not afford "good" insurance coverage. We could not even afford to pay 10% out of pocket for the surgery and treatments that Krissy needed.

I agree that "free", when it comes to socialized medicine, is not at all free. However, it does not have to be the nightmare that excisits as you discribe. Australia's Single Payer Healthcare is not like you discribe...nor is it perfect, BUT, every single Australian is covered and they also encourage preventative care programs, and cover mental health programs. They do have wait times but very VERY rarely does a person wait more than 6 months for special tests and or treatments.

Screw Obamacare!
Promote a Single Payer Medicare System.

voicesoftheland 1 year 28 weeks ago

As much as I am in favor of offering insurance to those who are not currently covered, Obamacare is simply adding to an already broken health care system. The whole system needs to be changed to one that is focused on prevention -- healthy organic foods, dietary education, fewer drugs and chemicals, and fewer unnecessary surgeries. Health should not be about money! AND, we need to take greater responsibility for our own health, by being conscious of what we put in our bodies. True, there are circumstances that we cannot control -- that's where a free single payer plan is needed.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 1 year 28 weeks ago

Palindromedary ~ Good point and an excellent question! Let me first assure everyone that I am not making an anti-Semitic remark. I have nothing but respect for the Jewish people. The term "Synagogue of Satan" is from the Judeo Christian Bible's Book of Revelations and is a direct quote from Jesus Christ himself addressing the modern day nation of Israel from antiquity.


Palindromedary ~ You are absolutely right in asking why not "Church of Satan" or "Mosque of Satan" or "Temple of Satan" or "Bank of Satan." All of these apply. To break down "Satan" worship so that anyone can understand, let "Satan" simply refer to a philosophy of placing self-importance above everything. When such an Ayn Rand type philosophy takes on a popular religious title, or any title of righteousness, and places love of money and self indulgence above love of God and serving humanity that philosophy becomes the epitome of hypocrisy. This holier than thou entity is an impostor of a true religious philosophy and embodies the ideals of the entity traditional religious doctrine associate with the evil character, Satan. The Ayn Rand philosophy is a candy coated name given to the philosophy of Satan. To simplify this association without offending any one group of innocent good people, I suggest that we refer to this phenomenon of group philosophy loosely as "CLUB SATAN" For as President Kennedy so eloquently stated,

Satanic Secret Societies Revealed By An United States President
For full speech:

One may also check out the expose done by Alex Jones on the "Skull and Bones" society to see that "CLUB SATAN" is not only an accurate description of the philosophy of these people; but, a literal definition of them as well:

All members of the Bush family, many members of Congress and advisers to all recent Presidents all belong to this Satan Worshipping Secret Society and the posted video above proves that association.

As President Kennedy warned us this association is world wide. The first thing we have to do to remedy the situation is identify the problem. President Kennedy gave his life to do just that. Let us educate one another about the existence, agenda, and identity of the members of "CLUB SATAN". Just like comic book superheroes, revealing their identity destroys their power.

My friends this powerful group--"CLUB SATAN"--really exists. Whether or not their supernatural benefactor exists is up to your belief system. Nevertheless, what we have to deal with is a group mind that has power; and, enough influence and resources to maintain its power. It's only advantage is organization and invisibility. They are hopelessly outnumbered. We need to organize my friends. Organizing and educating ourselves is our only hope.

To anyone who believes, We the People will prevail. In many ways the victory has already been won. Our victory is already written in prophecy and cannot be changed. The only factor is how long it will take.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 1 year 28 weeks ago

Thom Hartmann ~ This blog has been compromised somehow today. Yet obviously it seems to exist. At least 2950-10K and myself managed to find it. I don't know if 2950-10K had the problems I had; but, the link in the newsletter only lead to a "page not found" message. First time for me. Patients and perseverance really paid off this time because I had something really important to say today. You might want to check out this problem. DAM

nora's picture
nora 1 year 28 weeks ago

What amazes me about the uncertainty of the Affordable Care Acts insurance pricetag for each individual is this: Somehow those in Washington have the notion that most working Americans can actually afford to have their insurance costs increase. In Washington, those guys don't know what living on a budget is, or having a fixed income (either permanently through early retirement or ostensibly because, in this lousy Economy, there are scant opportunites for increasing income).

These are bad times, and adding more cost burdens to regular people (for the SOLE purpose of further enriching the Insurance Industry) should have been a no-no.

When FDR started Social Security and when Lyndon Johnson started Medicare, the Rich were taxed. But now we are starting Obamacare on the broken backs of a crushed working class in a depression that is called a recession. Starting this without any input$ from the Richest $egment of the population, just looks like an insane proposition to me that is doomed because the working class cannot bear this further burden.

Any failures of Obamacare will be used to try to "prove" that government-mandated healthcare-for-all is an impossibility in the USA. Too bad, since actually the only impossible thing was trying to implement changes without any taxing of the Richest Americans.

I think it is wishful thinking to expect this program to result in eventual implementation of single payer; the upper echelons just do not want the middleman insurance gravy train to end. And the chaos of out-of-control (unlimited/unconstrained) insurance cost burdens on working people will ruin people and put them in dire straits, once again without coverage in Limbo, just because they have a job or a car or a house rather than being destitute, another variation of medical claims denied -- and that will be in the states that are actually going to participate in attempt to get to healthcare-for-all.

My mom died of cancer when I was 13; the reason the costs of that did not force my family out of our home was Union insurance benefits. But today, it is a common thing for kids to lose not only a parent but also to lose their homes just because health care insurance and the resulting over-priced healthcare is a scam in this country. Even with healthcare policies, the DEBTS incurred through illness ruin lives. This messed up system is destroying the fiber of society and traumatizing our kids. The Affordable Care Act only rearranged the deck chairs on the sinking ship! The bankrupticies due to illness and death will continue. The destruction of lives and futures will continue. All because the profiteering insurance middleman were put first by Obama.

This plan only preserves the DEBT-based approach to healthcare that ruins the lives of sick and well alike.

I agree that it was a red flag when Obama postponed the requirement for companies with over 50 employees to provide group rate insurance coverage! If his priority was getting and keeping people covered AFFORDABLY, why leave the working class to become prey for the hungry insurers?

Who will be this Generation’s Thomas Jefferson?


From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO
From Unequal Protection, 2nd Edition:
From Screwed: