President Obama created a fictional woman "Julia" to help argue how his policies would support a person's well-being over her lifetime. Well, CNN pulled the same propaganda tactic on Wednesday to show the necessity of ObamaCare to the livelihood of various people.
Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen told the situation of three hypothetical persons in nothing less than a case for the upholding of ObamaCare. And this isn't the first time she's tried to play on the heartstrings of her audience, as she hyped the fears of an epileptic three year-old girl and her family back in March as the Court was hearing oral arguments for Obama's health care law. [Video below the break. Audio here.]
Cohen kicked off her report with "Leukemia Survivor Bobby" who would lose his coverage because of a preexisting condition. Anchor Don Lemon foolishly wondered if the hypothetical case would actually affect the Court's decision.
"I wonder if that weighs into the Court's decision. I don't know the legal – I'm not sure about that. That would have been a good question for Jeffrey," he said of Jeff Toobin, CNN's legal analyst.
Cohen touted the health care law's "biggest expansion of Medicaid ever," and therefore "Medicaid Marlene" would miss the cut if ObamaCare was overturned. "This is huge, and an often overlooked part of this law, is that all these people, it's the biggest expansion of Medicaid ever. And if this law is overturned, she's also out of luck," Cohen insisted.
She also touched on "Gwen the Graduate" who is under the age of 26 and thus on her parents' insurance. "Tomorrow, if the Supreme Court throws out the entire law, Gwen's in trouble. Gwen will not have insurance," Cohen asserted.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on June 27 on Newsroom at 1:06 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
DON LEMON: As complex as the health care law may be, it's ultimately about real people – real people – and the rules put in place to protect them. Our senior medical correspondent, of course, is Elizabeth Cohen. She's here to explain how tomorrow's ruling might affect your family. So Elizabeth, you have three types of people to talk about. Who's up first?
ELIZABETH COHEN: Alright, let's talk about "Leukemia Survivor Bobby." He's one of those millions of people who Jeff Toobin just talked about. Leukemia Survivor Bobby has had a terrible time because his parents are employed, but the employer does not give insurance. And they went to go looking for insurance for him, and no one wants to insure a leukemia survivor. They said forget it.
LEMON: Preexisting condition.
COHEN: Preexisting condition, we're not doing it. In 2010, Bobby got insurance because of ObamaCare. Well guess what, if the Supreme Court overturns it, the entire law, tomorrow, Bobby's out of luck.
LEMON: Oh really?
COHEN: Bobby doesn't have insurance, yeah. I mean, he – the insurance companies will not be required to cover him anymore. And again, insurance companies are businesses, they're not charities. Why would you want to cover someone who's a cancer survivor? Because the chances of him getting cancer again, they're there.
LEMON: I wonder if that weighs into the Court's decision. I don't know the legal – I'm not sure about that. That would have been a good question for Jeffrey. Okay, so what about young adults? Because, remember, you can be on your parents' until you're 26, correct? What about young adults?
COHEN: Exactly. So we have "Gwen the Graduate." So Gwen, again, is also happy because ObamaCare let her stay on her parents' insurance. She's 25, she's allowed to stay on her parents' insurance. And there are three million Gwens out there who got coverage because of ObamaCare. Tomorrow, if the Supreme Court throws out the entire law, Gwen's in trouble. Gwen will not have insurance.
LEMON: Can – can insurance companies – let's just say it's overturned – just say, okay, we'll cover Gwen or people like Gwen anyway?
COHEN: Several insurance companies have come forward and said we will do that. They said we will still take care of the Gwens of this world even if the law is thrown out.
LEMON: Okay. "ObamaCare," as it has been called, the Affordable Care Act, ObamaCare. The largest expansion of Medicaid ever. So who qualifies for it?
COHEN: Yes. Under ObamaCare, 17 million people will go – will be able to get Medicaid. Because right now, Medicaid is only for, or pretty much for, families or for pregnant women who are disabled people, and also your income has to be really low. So let's meet "Medicaid Marlene." Medicaid Marlene earns $15,000. Right now she can't get Medicaid because one, she's an individual, and she's not disabled. And number two, her income's a little bit high. Believe it or not, $15,000 is too rich in many states to get on Medicaid. And under ObamaCare she would be able to get on Medicaid. This is huge, and an often overlooked part of this law, is that all these people, it's the biggest expansion of Medicaid ever. And if this law is overturned, she's also out of luck.
LEMON: If you consider what medical costs are, and you look at $15,000, that's not a lot of money to be putting into health care.
COHEN: Right, and of course she can't buy her own insurance, because an insurance policy is like 10, 12 thousand dollars a year. She could never afford that.
