Medical Insurance

Jonathan Who? AP, NY Times Set the Stage For Gruber News Blackout
By Tom Blumer | June 23, 2015 | 10:55 PM EDT

Two recent NewsBusters posts have demonstrated that the major broadcast networks other than Fox News have failed to cover new information reported Sunday evening at the Wall Street Journal. Newly available emails reveal that MIT's Jonathan Gruber "worked more closely than previously known with the White House and top federal officials to shape" the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

Monday afternoon, NB's Scott Whitlock noted that "All three network morning shows on Monday ignored" the clearly newsworthy revelations. Very early Tuesday morning, NB's Curtis Houck observed that "The top English and Spanish-language broadcast networks" did the same thing Monday evening. The Associated Press and the New York Times, the nation's de facto news gatekeepers during the Obama era (far more the former than the latter, in my view) were instrumental in this deliberate averted-eyes exercise. Neither outlet has printed a word about what the Journal found.

Networks Again Punt on E-Mails Showing Gruber’s Deeper Role with WH on ObamaCare
By Curtis Houck | June 23, 2015 | 12:23 AM EDT

The top English and Spanish-language broadcast networks again ignored on Monday night a new development in the Jonathan Gruber saga as new e-mails have surfaced that revealed how his role with the White House on ObamaCare was more detailed than previously thought. As initially reported by The Wall Street Journal, e-mails “show frequent consultations between Mr. Gruber and top Obama administration staffers and advisers in the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services on the Affordable Care Act.”

Health Coverage for Undocumented Gets Thumbs Up on Univision
By Javier Zurita | June 18, 2015 | 6:10 PM EDT

The California legislature’s approval of a bill that enables undocumented children to obtain health insurance from the state’s Health Benefit Exchange was cause for celebration during a recent Univision morning show segment. In addition to covering minors, unauthorized immigrants 19 years of age or older are also slated to become eligible for enrollment upon determination by the state that “sufficient funding is available.”

Cobertura médica a indocumentados recibe apoyo en Univisión
By Javier Zurita | June 18, 2015 | 6:05 PM EDT

Univisión celebró la legislación en el estado de California que permite a los niños indocumentados recibir cobertura médica, a través del Health Benefit Exchange. Además de asegurar a miles de menores, inmigrantes mayores de edad—sin estatus legal—podrían acceder a ese beneficio si el estado “dispone de suficientes fondos.”

Networks Skip Report Feds Unable to Verify $2.8 Billion in ObamaCare Subsidies
By Curtis Houck | June 16, 2015 | 9:13 PM EDT

The top English and Spanish networks refused on Tuesday evening to cover the findings of a federal audit report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) that concluded that just under $3 billion in ObamaCare subsidies have been unable to be properly verified that, according to the audit, puts taxpayer funding “at risk.” While the broadcast networks ignored this story, the FNC's Special Report devoted a one-minute-and-48-second segment to the IG’s findings. 

Andrea Mitchell Sees ‘Big Problems’ for GOP if ObamaCare Overturned
By Kyle Drennen | June 9, 2015 | 4:21 PM EDT

Andrea Mitchell led off her Tuesday MSNBC show by introducing a presidential speech defending ObamaCare: “President Obama is now about to give his speech on his health care law. A law that faces an uncertain future as we await a landmark Supreme Court decision....The Court could strip 6.4 million people of health insurance subsidies.” Mitchell: “A possibility that might create big problems for Republicans in swing districts.”

FNC’s Kelly, Napolitano Blast Obama’s Hit on SCOTUS
By Jeffrey Meyer | June 9, 2015 | 9:50 AM EDT

Following President Obama’s controversial remarks at the G-7 Summit in which he lectured the Supreme Court over how they should rule in the upcoming ObamaCare lawsuit, on Monday’s the Kelly File, Fox News’ Megyn Kelly and Andrew Napolitano took him to task for trying to “intimidate them” and rule in his favor. 

Networks Fail to Notice Obama Attacking Supreme Court Ahead of ObamaCare Ruling
By Curtis Houck | June 8, 2015 | 11:20 PM EDT

The “big three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC all refused to mention on Monday night comments made by President Barack Obama earlier in the day in which he attacked the Supreme Court for taking a case regarding ObamaCare subsidies and warned them not to rule that they’re unconstitutional. They remained on the sidelines as FNC's Special Report with Bret Baier worked to once again fill the void with not only a full segment, but also a discussion of it with the show’s “All-Star Panel.”

Nets Spend 48 Minutes on Jenner’s Cover, Skip Obama's Bad News
By Jeffrey Meyer | June 3, 2015 | 11:39 AM EDT

Since Vanity Fair unveiled its cover featuring Bruce Jenner’s transition to Caitlyn Jenner on Monday afternoon, the “Big Three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) networks have gone over the top in their promotion of the story, giving it a whopping 48 minutes and 25 seconds of coverage (Monday night through Wednesday morning) -- while omitting several damaging stories regarding President Obama’s policy agenda.

Networks Duck Rising ObamaCare Premiums, Bad Polls for Hillary and Obama
By Curtis Houck | June 3, 2015 | 12:36 AM EDT

On Tuesday night, the major English and Spanish broadcast networks ignored news that health insurance premiums under ObamaCare are expected to skyrocket in the next year with many topping out in the double digits. In addition, the networks punted on a poll indicating that support for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is continuing to tumble while CBS again neglected to take note of the latest CBS News/New York Times poll that showed more Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of foreign policy than those who support him

NPR Bewails Texas's 'Unqualified No' to Medicaid Expansion
By Matthew Balan | May 29, 2015 | 5:42 PM EDT

Friday's Morning Edition on NPR did its best to try to promote the liberal cause of expanding Medicaid in Texas. Wade Goodwyn lined up six soundbites from pro-expansion talking heads, versus only two from former Texas Governor Rick Perry, an opponent. Goodwyn played up that "in hating the Affordable Care Act, the state is leaving on the table as much as a hundred billion dollars of federal money over ten years – money that would pay for health insurance for more than a million of its working poor."

AP: ‘Ugly Fallout’ if Court Rules Against ObamaCare; GOP in ‘Damage Control’
By Kyle Drennen | May 26, 2015 | 3:04 PM EDT

In an effort to preemptively denounce a Supreme Court ruling against ObamaCare, on Monday, the Associated Press warned of “ugly potential fallout” if health insurance subsidies in the law were struck down. The article began by fretting: “A Supreme Court ruling due in a few weeks could wipe out health insurance for millions of people covered by President Barack Obama's health care law.”