The White House blog: Facts Are Stubborn Things

TUE, AUGUST 4, 6:55 AM EST

Posted by Macon Phillips

Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, "facts are stubborn things."

Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the Internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions.

In this video, Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House’s Health Reform Office, addresses one example that makes it look like the President intends to "eliminate" private coverage, when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.



For the record, the President has consistently said that if you like your insurance plan, your doctor, or both, you will be able to keep them.  He has even proposed eight consumer protections relating specifically to the health insurance industry.

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care.  These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. 

Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Here are the complete videos that Linda refers to.  First from the AARP:

And then from the President's news conference:

What Health Reform Means for Veterans

Posted by Macon Phillips

To follow on the President’s speech today marking the launch of the post-9/11 GI Bill, we wanted to offer the following update on what health reform means for veterans.

The President is committed to ensuring that the Department of Veterans Affairs provides America’s veterans the highest-quality health care possible.  His budget requests the largest single-year increase in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs in three decades, and significantly expands coverage, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded.

Health reform will only build on the President’s commitment to veterans’ health care.  The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans. 

Also, veterans and their families will have additional choices for high-quality, affordable health care, with consumer protections that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage or setting a limit on the coverage they will provide.

The health reform legislation that the House of Representatives is considering would enable those who are covered by VA care, including dependents of certain veterans enrolled in the CHAMPVA program, to meet the individual responsibility mandate; thereby exempting such veterans and dependants from being assessed penalties.

If enacted, the President will ensure that this exemption is implemented aggressively.  The Secretary of Veterans Affairs would continue to maintain sole authority over the system and for enhancing the quality and access for all eligible veterans.

source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/

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