Dems: GOP rebuttal anecdote misleading

Democrats are slamming Republicans for misleading the public with a false anecdote about ObamaCare premiums in a response to the State of the Union address.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) called on Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) to apologize after she said “Bette from Spokane” was facing a premium increase of $700 under the healthcare law.

{mosads}Media reports have since revealed that the woman, Bette Grenier, was quoting the most expensive option offered by her insurance company and that she declined cheaper plans on Washington state’s ObamaCare exchange.

“Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers owes the nation an apology for lying in her Republican response to the State of the Union this week, and spreading more misinformation to Americans about their health care options,” said DCCC spokeswoman Emily Bittner in a statement Friday.

“House Republicans are … resorting to embellishing stories and leaving out the facts to mislead Americans about the new affordable, comprehensive coverage available to them.”

The office of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) levied similar charges in its own statement Friday, calling the GOP’s story about Bette a scare tactic to dissuade people from supporting ObamaCare.

The criticisms highlight the controversy inherent in claims about premiums under the healthcare law. Anecdotes about “sticker shock” are likely true in some cases but not in others, and it’s difficult to verify either way.

The New York Times and the Spokane-based Spokesman Review both dug into Grenier’s story after the McMorris Rodger speech on Tuesday night.

In reports published Thursday, both papers challenged Grenier’s account of her “nearly $700 per month” premium increase.

“[Grenier’s] carrier also offered a less expensive, $1,052-per-month option in lieu of their soon-to-be-discontinued catastrophic coverage plan,” the Spokesman-Review reported.

“And, Grenier acknowledged the couple probably could have shaved another $100 a month off the replacement policy costs by purchasing them from the state’s online [marketplace] … but they chose to avoid the government health exchanges.”

McMorris Rodgers’s office said that Grenier is one of hundreds of people in Washington state who are expressing concerns about ObamaCare.

“Bette proactively reached out to the office and the Congresswoman’s description of her premium increase was consistent with the information she gave us,” a McMorris Rodgers aide said in a statement.

“She liked her plan, was told she could no longer keep it, and the alternative was significantly more expensive. Her story is one of hundreds the Congresswoman has heard from her constituents in Eastern WA who are being harmed by the President’s health care law. The information was accurate and truthful.”

McMorris Rodgers took to Twitter Friday to address the controversy, “It’s sad partisan politicians are attacking Bette, whose premiums would’ve skyrocketed. Bette and millions more are being hurt by this law.”

This story was updated at 2:58 p.m.