Media Propaganda on Obamacare

Primetime news shows are deceiving viewers about Obamacare premiums by parroting the word “skyrocket” while omitting vital facts.

SOURCES:

The enhanced Obamacare subsidies were first enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic: https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2024-12/59230-ARPA.pdf

Obamacare recipients currently pay an average of $74/month ($888/year) for health insurance, and if the enhanced subsidy expires, they will pay an average of $159/month ($1,904/year): https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B is $185: https://www.ohsers.org/medicare-announces-2025-premium-increase/

If the enhanced subsidies expire, the original Obamacare subsidies will remain, and taxpayers will still pick up the bulk of the tab for these policies (see Figure 4): https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/inflation-reduction-act-health-insurance-subsidies-what-is-their-impact-and-what-would-happen-if-they-expire/

CNN misportrayed annual Obamacare premiums as monthly premiums: https://rumble.com/v70bzwo-cnns-obamacare-hoax.html

The maximum income limit for the original Obamacare subsidies is 400% of the federal poverty line: https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2024-12-04_R48290_93ab164c5cd9e0f05b016b7322a94bad0bc3c4c2.pdf

Democrats and media outlets are highlighting outliers with incomes above the maximum limit for the original Obamacare subsidies and who are nearly old enough to receive Medicare:
https://www.justfactsdaily.com/in-fact/n0000655
https://rumble.com/v70bzwo-cnns-obamacare-hoax.html?start=146

Such outliers constitute 1% of the people who receive Obamacare and well under 0.1% of the U.S. population:

• “number of people with ACA Marketplace coverage … 21.4 million. … Figure 6 … Subsidized ACA Marketplace Coverage … Enrollees Making Above 400% FPL … 2024 … 1.5M” https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/inflation-reduction-act-health-insurance-subsidies-what-is-their-impact-and-what-would-happen-if-they-expire/

• “2025 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files … [Tab 6] by Demographics … Age 55–64 [=] 5,493,907 … Age ≥ 65 [=] 412,938” https://www.cms.gov/files/zip/2025-oep-state-level-public-use-file.zip

• “The United States population on July 1, 2025 was: 342,034,432: https://www.census.gov/popclock/

• CALCULATION: (1,500,000 / 21,400,000) × ((5,493,907/2) + 412,938) ≈ 221,488 Obamacare recipients aged 60 and above with incomes above 400% of the federal poverty line

• CALCULATION: 221,488 / 21,400,000 = 1% of Obamacare recipients

• CALCULATION: 342,034,432 / 342,034,432 = 0.06% of the U.S. population

The couple highlighted by Amy Klobuchar and CNBC collects government pensions of $127,000/year, receives more income from an IRA, and retired at the ages of 58 and 50:
https://x.com/SenAmyKlobuchar/status/1980307313497121279
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/17/aca-enhanced-subsidy-lapse-government-shutdown.html

On average, enhanced Obamacare subsidies are now giving $14,680 per year to 60-year-old couples with incomes of $125,000 (see Figure 2 and click on the tab for “60-Year Old Couple”): https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/

Obamacare is welfare: https://www.justfacts.com/socialspending#programs_means

Under the enhanced subsidies, people can make up to $304,100 per year and still receive Obamacare subsidies: https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2022-08/58357-Graham.pdf#page=5

Footage from ABC News, CNN, and MSNBC is reproduced under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law for “purposes such as criticism” and “comment” (17 U.S.C. §107). https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107