White House Releases Misleading Ad

Today the White House released an ad campaign featuring actor Andy Griffith, hoping the friendly sheriff from Mayberrry will convince voters that ObamaCare is not the disaster we know it to be. Although technically correct, the ad falsely attempts to reassure Seniors that the new law won’t change Medicare benefits.

As FactCheck.org explains:

So how can the Obama administration claim that “guaranteed Medicare benefits will remain the same”? The answer is that the term “guaranteed” is a weasel word…It may sound to the casual listener as though this ad is saying that the benefits of all Medicare recipients are guaranteed to stay the same — and that may well be the way the ad’s sponsors wish listeners to hear it. But what the administration is really saying is that only those benefits that are guaranteed in law will remain the same…But here’s the catch: The extra benefits generally offered by Medicare Advantage plans aren’t guaranteed by law.

The White House is also counting on people forgetting that the original Medicare legislation made the following “guarantee”:

Sec. 1801: Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize any federal officer or employee to exercise any supervision or control over the practice of medicine or the manner in which medical services are provided, or over the selection, tenure, or compensation of any officer or employee or any institution, agency or person providing health services; or to exercise any supervision or control over the administration or operation of any such institution, agency or person.

In 2002, Dr. Lawrence Huntoon, MD collected more Medicare Myths and Facts including the myths that Medicare has lower administration costs, and that we can count on the government to keep its promises.

For more on the subtle duplicity of the White House ad campaign, read the rest of Mayberry Misleads on Medicare.

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