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A Media Matters analysis of 16 reform efforts since the 1930s showed conservatives called them all "socialized medicine," or a step in that direction. In both House and Senate bills, Obamacare is rigorously private.
The Right-Wing Media Research Center's Business & Media Institute's (MRC's B&MI) "Uncritical Condition" Report
In attacking the "liberal media," it claimed that "Network news fails to examine high cost and proven failures of government-run health care" even though House and Senate bills are rigorously private and enrich institutional providers hugely at the public's expense.
MRC's B&MI "examined 224 stories about health care on the three broadcast networks' morning and evening shows that aired between Jan. 20, the date of Obama's inauguration, and June 24, the night of ABC's prime time town hall special on health care." Its false conclusions included the following:
-- the networks "barely discuss(ed) (the CBO's estimate of) one proposed (bill of) $1.6 trillion (while leaving roughly 36 million people uninsured according to the Washington Times). Yet, only 20 network stories (9%) referenced estimates even close to that number;" the correct House bill CBO estimates were covered above, way below MRC's B&MI's figures;
-- an April 29 Good Morning America report and others saying about "50 million Americans" uninsured were "wrong by a margin of 4-to-1 (80 percent); in fact, credible estimates placed the uninsured number at 47 million in 2007 before the current economic crisis, and a May 2009 Health Affairs.org published Todd Gilmer -Richard Kronick study estimated that:
(1) 44,230 Americans lose coverage weekly;
(2) 191,670 monthly;
(3) 2.3 million annually; and
(4) by yearend 2010, another 6.9 million will be without it unless effective policy measures prevent it.
MRC's B&MI report is riddled with misinformation and gross inaccuries, including saying:
-- Obamacare's intention is to "remake approximately one-sixth of the entire US economy;"
-- "the three (broadcast) networks have joined Obama's campaign for change (in) favor(ing) proponents to critics by a margin of more than 2-to-one;"
-- they also ignored the "exorbitant" cost;
-- they "glossed over the shortcomings of Medicare - a government-run health insurance program already bound for insolvency;"
-- ABC's Tim Johnson "blatantly cheered for big-government solutions;"
