Web MD has an online quiz called “Health Care Reform Myth or Fact” which is designed to test your knowledge of reform. While most of the questions stick to familiar topics such as pre-existing conditions and staying on your parent’s insurance until age 26, a few have answers that the Obama administration may not like.
Question 10 is “Health reform will make your insurance costs go up.” There are several True-False questions in the quiz but this is the only one that adds a third possible option “It depends.” This turns out to be the correct answer because, as the quiz explains, “it’s hard to know exactly what to expect.” The explanation adds “Since insurance companies won’t be allowed to charge sick people more,they may even out the costs by raising prices on the healthy.” They may? Is there really any doubt about that?
Question 11, “Reform will probably make it harder for people to find a doctor,” turns out to be even worse for Obamacare proponents. The answer to this True-False question is True. The explanation notes “There’s already a shortage of doctors in the U.S. And since up to 32million more people will get coverage in 2014, the problem will mostlikely get worse.
With those two notable exceptions, the Web MD quiz is decidedly upbeat about Obamacare. The very first question reinforces the claim repeatedly made by the President that “If you’re happy with your health plan, you can keep it.” This may be true for most Americans but earlier this year the CBO predicted that 7 million people would lose their employee based insurance under Obamacare. Obviously 7 million is a large number, certainly large enough to call this promise busted. But at Web MD the claim that you will have to change your plan is still considered to be “false.”
Bottom line: Even a site that seems to be trying to put the best face on Obamacare thinks costs and access are going to get worse.