Inside the Fox News lie machine: I fact-checked Sean Hannity on Obamacare
I happened to turn on the Hannity show on Fox News last Friday evening. âAverage Americans are feeling the pain of Obamacare and the healthcare overhaul train wreck,â Hannity announced, âand six of them are here tonight to tell us their stories.â Three married couples were neatly arranged in his studio, the wives seated and the men standing behind them, like game show contestants.
As Hannity called on each of them, the guests recounted their âObamacareâ horror stories: canceled policies, premium hikes, restrictions on the freedom to see a doctor of their choice, financial burdens upon their small businesses and so on.
âThese are the stories that the media refuses to cover,â Hannity interjected.
But none of it smelled right to me. Nothing these folks were saying jibed with the basic facts of the Affordable Care Act as I understand them. I understand them fairly well; I have worked as a senior adviser to a governor and helped him deal with the new federal rules.
I decided to hit the pavement. I tracked down Hannityâs guests, one by one, and did my own telephone interviews with them.
First I spoke with Paul Cox of Leicester, N.C. He and his wife Michelle had lamented to Hannity that because of Obamacare, they canât grow their construction business and they have kept their employees below a certain number of hours, so that they are part-timers.
Obamacare has no effect on businesses with 49 employees or less. But in our brief conversation on the phone, Paul revealed that he has only four employees. Why the cutback on his workforce? âWell,â he said, âI havenât been forced to do so, itâs just that Iâve chosen to do so. I have to deal with increased costs.â What costs? And how, I asked him, is any of it due to Obamacare? There was a long pause, after which he said heâd call me back. He never did.
There is only one Obamacare requirement that applies to a company of this size: workers must be notified of the existence of the âhealthcare.govâ website, the insurance exchange. Thatâs all.
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The other stories are on the site.
Remember kids, FOXNews doesn't lie.
I happened to turn on the Hannity show on Fox News last Friday evening. âAverage Americans are feeling the pain of Obamacare and the healthcare overhaul train wreck,â Hannity announced, âand six of them are here tonight to tell us their stories.â Three married couples were neatly arranged in his studio, the wives seated and the men standing behind them, like game show contestants.
As Hannity called on each of them, the guests recounted their âObamacareâ horror stories: canceled policies, premium hikes, restrictions on the freedom to see a doctor of their choice, financial burdens upon their small businesses and so on.
âThese are the stories that the media refuses to cover,â Hannity interjected.
But none of it smelled right to me. Nothing these folks were saying jibed with the basic facts of the Affordable Care Act as I understand them. I understand them fairly well; I have worked as a senior adviser to a governor and helped him deal with the new federal rules.
I decided to hit the pavement. I tracked down Hannityâs guests, one by one, and did my own telephone interviews with them.
First I spoke with Paul Cox of Leicester, N.C. He and his wife Michelle had lamented to Hannity that because of Obamacare, they canât grow their construction business and they have kept their employees below a certain number of hours, so that they are part-timers.
Obamacare has no effect on businesses with 49 employees or less. But in our brief conversation on the phone, Paul revealed that he has only four employees. Why the cutback on his workforce? âWell,â he said, âI havenât been forced to do so, itâs just that Iâve chosen to do so. I have to deal with increased costs.â What costs? And how, I asked him, is any of it due to Obamacare? There was a long pause, after which he said heâd call me back. He never did.
There is only one Obamacare requirement that applies to a company of this size: workers must be notified of the existence of the âhealthcare.govâ website, the insurance exchange. Thatâs all.
...........
-----------
The other stories are on the site.
Remember kids, FOXNews doesn't lie.
