Media misleads public about effect of ACA

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maybe-its-blessing-disguise

By Steve Benen
1/05/13

We talked last week about Dianne Barrette, a 56-year-old resident of Winter Haven, Fla., who’s made a flurry of television appearances after Blue Cross/Blue Shield informed her that her old plan is being replaced with a new one, and her new coverage will be more expensive. Her situation quickly made her a media darling, appearing on multiple national programs on multiple national networks.

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Upon further inspection, the story of this “Obamacare victim” was far different from what those initial interviews suggested. Barrette had an awful insurance plan that left her one serious ailment away from bankruptcy. The Affordable Care Act offered an upgrade at a discount – she’s eligible for a subsidy under the law.

Jonathan Cohn did some additional research, discovered that Barrette could sign up for a vastly better plan than she has now, and it’d cost her between $50 to $150 more per month, depending on how much coverage she was prepared to buy. Cohn asked Barrette directly if this would appeal to her, given her personal circumstances.

Here was her response: “I would jump at it,” she said. “With my age, things can happen. I don’t want to have bills that could make me bankrupt. I don’t want to lose my house.”

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