For some reason back in 2008 I printed out the entire Obama-Biden website containing their positions and proposals.  Scanning the health care section recently I found some interesting statements:

“The Obama plan will lower health care costs by $2,500 for a typical family by investing in health information technology, prevention and care coordination.”

“Reduce Costs and Save a Typical American Family up to $2,500.”

“Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year.”

Which is it, “by”, “up to” or “as much as?”  No matter, there is nothing in the Affordable Care Act that saves the typical family $2,500.  You can stretch this definition and say that the subsidies within the exchanges will save some families money and that’s true, but it does not lower health care costs and certainly not through information technology, prevention and care coordination.

“On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes – government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.”

Interesting choice of words, the “extreme” of government-run health care, is “wrong.”

“Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums.”

The “fair and stable premiums” will reflect the additional cost of removing all underwriting for insurance coverage.

“Barack Obama will pay for his $50 – $65 billion health care reform effort by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year and retaining the estate tax at its 2009 level.”

LOL . . .

the President’s most recent budget alone contains an additional $111 billion to cover the cost of subsidies for Americans enrolled in the health insurance exchanges.

Of course, rhetoric and  promises that don’t match reality are not unique to Obama-Biden or to Democrats for that matter.  All politicians pander to the wants and fears of the voters, but on occasion it would be nice if the voters held them accountable.