Taxpayer Money Used To Run “Fictional” Medicare Ads

FactCheck.org Says “The Promise That ‘Benefits Will Remain The Same’ Is Just As Fictional As The Town Of Mayberry Was When Griffith Played The Local Sheriff”
“Like Always, We’ll Have Our Guaranteed [Medicare] Benefits.” (“An Important Message From Medicare With Andy Griffith,” HHS, 7/29/10)

“Would The Sheriff Of Mayberry Mislead You About Medicare? Alas, Yes.”
“Would The Sheriff Of Mayberry Mislead You About Medicare? Alas, Yes. In a new TV spot from the Obama administration, actor Andy Griffith, famous for his 1960s portrayal of the top law enforcement official in the fictional town of Mayberry, N.C., touts benefits of the new health care law. Griffith tells his fellow senior citizens, ‘like always, we’ll have our guaranteed [Medicare] benefits.’ But the truth is that the new law is guaranteed to result in benefit cuts for one class of Medicare beneficiaries — those in private Medicare Advantage plans.” (“Mayberry Misleads On Medicare,” FactCheck.org, 7/31/10)

“…The Truth Is, For Millions Of Seniors, Benefits Won’t Remain The Same. As We Wrote Most Recently Last December, About 10 Million Medicare Advantage Recipients Could See Their Extra Benefits Reduced By An Average Of $43 Per Month, According To The Congressional Budget Office.” (“Mayberry Misleads On Medicare,” FactCheck.org, 7/31/10)

“A Weasel Word”
“A Weasel Word: So How Can The Obama Administration Claim That ‘Guaranteed Medicare Benefits Will Remain The Same’? The Answer Is That The Term ‘Guaranteed’ Is A Weasel Word — A Qualifier That Sucks The Meaning Out Of A Phrase In The Way That Weasels Supposedly Suck The Contents Out Of An Egg. It may sound to the casual listener as though this ad is saying that the benefits of all Medicare recipients are guaranteed to stay the same — and that may well be the way the ad’s sponsors wish listeners to hear it. … But here’s the catch: The extra benefits generally offered by Medicare Advantage plans aren’t guaranteed by law. They are offered by private insurance companies as inducements.” (“Mayberry Misleads On Medicare,” FactCheck.org, 7/31/10)

“Currently, About 1 In Every 4 Medicare Beneficiary Is Enrolled In A Medicare Advantage Plan. For Many Of Them, The Words In This Ad Ring Hollow, And The Promise That ‘Benefits Will Remain The Same’ Is Just As Fictional As The Town Of Mayberry Was When Griffith Played The Local Sheriff.” (“Mayberry Misleads On Medicare,” FactCheck.org, 7/31/10)

Flashback: “Weasel Word” Used Consistently By The Administration To Mislead Seniors
PRESIDENT OBAMA: “First And Foremost, What You Need To Know Is That The Guaranteed Medicare Benefits That You’ve Earned Will Not Change, Regardless Of Whether You Receive Them Through Medicare, Or Medicare Advantage.” (President Obama, Remarks, 6/8/10)

CMS MAILER: “Your Guaranteed Medicare Benefits Won’t Change – Whether You Get Them Through Original Medicare Or A Medicare Advantage Plan.” (“Medicare And The New Health Care Law – What It Means For You,” Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services, 5/10)

CMS MAILER: “Improvements To Medicare Advantage.” (“Medicare And The New Health Care Law – What It Means For You,” Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services, 5/10)

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