Koch brothers' group launches ad raising questions about Obamacare
On the heels of the Obama administration's decision to delay the implementation of part of the Affordable Care Act, a conservative group is launching a new campaign designed to undermine confidence in the sweeping health care law.
Americans for Prosperity, the conservative political advocacy group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, is airing a new television ad with some dubious claims about the law. In the ad, a mother says, "I have some questions about Obamacare: If we can't pick our own doctor, How do I know my family is going to get the care they need? And what am I getting in exchange for higher premiums and a smaller paycheck? "
There's nothing in the Affordable Care Act that would keep a patient from picking his or her own doctor, though there's evidence that premiums for healthy people could be higher on the health insurance exchanges that should be up and running by next year.
The ad underscores the fact that some Americans, particularly the uninsured, are still unfamiliar with the main aspects of the law. While Obamacare has been the law for three years, some of the its most significant elements go into effect next year -- including the individual mandate, which requires all Americans to get insurance, and the opening of the online health insurance marketplaces, called exchanges.
Americans for Prosperity is spending $1 million on its new campaign against Obamacare, which starts with this ad airing in Ohio and Virginia, as well as an online campaign.
While Americans for Prosperity is ginning up concern about the law, another group is trying to solidify the public's understanding and support for it. Organizing for Action (the nonprofit that evolved from President Obama's campaign organization Obama for America) is airing an ad that also features a mother talking about how Obamacare has impacted her child's care. It stresses that the law bars lifetime caps on insurance coverage.
The ad is part of an ongoing campaign to educate the public about the law before the exchanges and the individual mandate go into effect.
It's no surprise that both ads feature mothers: Women are often considered the key decision-makers when it comes to family health care, and women are expected to play a key role in encouraging uninsured populations, such as young adults, to get insurance on the exchanges next year. Americans for Prosperity has found, the group told CBSNews.com, that mothers in their 30's and 40's in particular have serious concerns about doubts about the law.
