Is This a Commercial? CNN Uses Characters to Tug Hearts on ObamaCare Being Overturned
President Obama created a fictional woman "Julia"
to help argue how his policies would support a person's well-being over
her lifetime. Well, CNN pulled the same propaganda tactic on Wednesday
to show the necessity of ObamaCare to the livelihood of various people.
Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen told the situation of three
hypothetical persons in nothing less than a case for the upholding of
ObamaCare. And this isn't the first time she's tried to play on the
heartstrings of her audience, as she hyped
the fears of an epileptic three year-old girl and her family back in
March as the Court was hearing oral arguments for Obama's health care
law.
Cohen kicked off her report with "Leukemia Survivor Bobby" who would
lose his coverage because of a preexisting condition. Anchor Don Lemon
foolishly wondered if the hypothetical case would actually affect the
Court's decision.
"I wonder if that weighs into the Court's decision. I don't know the
legal – I'm not sure about that. That would have been a good question
for Jeffrey," he said of Jeff Toobin, CNN's legal analyst.
[Video below. Audio here.]
Cohen touted the health care law's "biggest expansion of Medicaid ever," and therefore "Medicaid Marlene" would miss the cut if ObamaCare was overturned. "This is huge, and an often overlooked part of this law, is that all these people, it's the biggest expansion of Medicaid ever. And if this law is overturned, she's also out of luck," Cohen insisted.
She also touched on "Gwen the Graduate" who is under the age of 26 and
thus on her parents' insurance. "Tomorrow, if the Supreme Court throws
out the entire law, Gwen's in trouble. Gwen will not have insurance,"
Cohen asserted.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on June 27 on Newsroom at 1:06 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
DON LEMON: As complex as the health care law may be, it's ultimately
about real people – real people – and the rules put in place to protect
them. Our senior medical correspondent, of course, is Elizabeth Cohen.
She's here to explain how tomorrow's ruling might affect your family. So
Elizabeth, you have three types of people to talk about. Who's up
first?
ELIZABETH COHEN: Alright, let's talk about "Leukemia Survivor Bobby."
He's one of those millions of people who Jeff Toobin just talked about.
Leukemia Survivor Bobby has had a terrible time because his parents are
employed, but the employer does not give insurance. And they went to go
looking for insurance for him, and no one wants to insure a leukemia
survivor. They said forget it.
LEMON: Preexisting condition.
COHEN: Preexisting condition, we're not doing it. In 2010, Bobby got
insurance because of ObamaCare. Well guess what, if the Supreme Court
overturns it, the entire law, tomorrow, Bobby's out of luck.
LEMON: Oh really?
COHEN: Bobby doesn't have insurance, yeah. I mean, he – the insurance
companies will not be required to cover him anymore. And again,
insurance companies are businesses, they're not charities. Why would you
want to cover someone who's a cancer survivor? Because the chances of
him getting cancer again, they're there.
LEMON: I wonder if that weighs into the Court's decision. I don't know
the legal – I'm not sure about that. That would have been a good
question for Jeffrey. Okay, so what about young adults? Because,
remember, you can be on your parents' until you're 26, correct? What
about young adults?
COHEN: Exactly. So we have "Gwen the Graduate." So Gwen, again, is also
happy because ObamaCare let her stay on her parents' insurance. She's
25, she's allowed to stay on her parents' insurance. And there are three
million Gwens out there who got coverage because of ObamaCare.
Tomorrow, if the Supreme Court throws out the entire law, Gwen's in
trouble. Gwen will not have insurance.
LEMON: Can – can insurance companies – let's just say it's overturned –
just say, okay, we'll cover Gwen or people like Gwen anyway?
COHEN: Several insurance companies have come forward and said we will
do that. They said we will still take care of the Gwens of this world
even if the law is thrown out.
LEMON: Okay. "ObamaCare," as it has been called, the Affordable Care
Act, ObamaCare. The largest expansion of Medicaid ever. So who qualifies
for it?
COHEN: Yes. Under ObamaCare, 17 million people will go – will be able
to get Medicaid. Because right now, Medicaid is only for, or pretty much
for, families or for pregnant women who are disabled people, and also
your income has to be really low. So let's meet "Medicaid Marlene."
Medicaid Marlene earns $15,000. Right now she can't get Medicaid because
one, she's an individual, and she's not disabled. And number two, her
income's a little bit high. Believe it or not, $15,000 is too rich in
many states to get on Medicaid. And under ObamaCare she would be able to
get on Medicaid. This is huge, and an often overlooked part of this
law, is that all these people, it's the biggest expansion of Medicaid
ever. And if this law is overturned, she's also out of luck.
LEMON: If you consider what medical costs are, and you look at $15,000,
that's not a lot of money to be putting into health care.
COHEN: Right, and of course she can't buy her own insurance, because an
insurance policy is like 10, 12 thousand dollars a year. She could
never afford that.
