Limbaugh, Beck attack health care law

Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, two of the biggest names in conservative talk radio, have had plenty to say about the health care law recently.

Limbaugh said President Barack Obama made sure his union pals got special treatment in the health care law. How? Their health insurance plans are locked in, completely immune to new rules set forth by the Affordable Care Act, he said, noting that everyday Americans being hit with cancellation notices from their insurers don’t get the same courtesy.

“If your plan is the result of collective bargaining, no subsequent changes by anybody — insurance companies, Obamacare — can force your grandfathered policy to change,” Limbaugh said about the union carve-out on his show Oct. 30.

“So, in other words, union insurers can amend their coverage. Your insurance company can’t,” Limbaugh continued. “Well, your insurance company can, but you lose your grandfathered status when they do. Unions don’t because they’re covered under an amendment made pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement.”

That’s not quite right, as our fact-check revealed.

Beck, meanwhile, claimed that Obama “knew half of the population of the United States would lose their health insurance.”

“They had the studies that showed that up to 80 million people would lose their health insurance,” Beck said on his radio show, which is syndicated on more than 400 stations. “Now we find out this week that number is actually 125 million. Half of the population in the United States, they knew half of the population of the United States would lose their doctor and their health insurance?

“And yet he went on the road over and over and over and over and over and over again and said, ‘You’ll be able to keep your doctor if you like him, you’ll be able to keep your health insurance,’ when they knew half of the population the United States would lose their health insurance.”

That’s a hefty claim, but it’s not right. Read why here.