Quick Fact: Hannity falsely suggests Democratic health
bills would "actually" only insure "12 million" people

post from Media Matters for America - Latest Items on 20 November 2009 10:47:52 PM. © Media Matters for America - Latest Items

Sean Hannity responded to a statement by Democratic strategist Jacques DeGraff that "We're on the threshold of taking care of 31 million Americans who don't have health insurance" by claiming that "It's actually 12 million" who would get insurance.

From theNovember 20 edition of Fox News' Hannity:

FORMER MD GOV. ROBERT ERLICH: We're on the threshold of quadrupling thenational debt.

DEGRAFF: We're on the threshold of takingcare of 31 million Americans who don't have health insurance.

HANNITY: It's actually 12 million, but that's a whole different story.

Fact: CBO says Senate and Househealth billswould each reduce thenumber of uninsured in 2019 bymore than 30 million

According to the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) costestimate of the Senate health carebill, "the number of nonelderly people who are uninsured would be reducedby about 31 million" in 2019 compared to current law.Similarly, the CBO's score of theHouse bill as passed estimated the bill would have the neteffect of reducing the number of uninsured Americans by 36million in 2019 compared to current law.