There’s something very amusing in the fact that so many people are pointing to Jimmy Kimmel as an authority on healthcare policy.
Kimmel got his start with Adam Carolla on “The Man Show.” The title gives it away. It was a show that appealed to the hormones of men in their 20s and 30s. It featured high-brow episodes such as, “Topless Juggy Car Wash.” I’ll leave it to your imagination to figure out what they meant by that.
Following the end of “The Man Show,” Kimmel went on to start his late-night career, and that is where he still is today. In April 2017, Kimmel’s son Billy had surgery to correct a congenital heart defect known as tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary atresia. Billy had surgery three days after being born, and all reports say the boy is doing fine.
That is the extent of Kimmel’s knowledge of the healthcare system. That said, the mainstream media, to nobody’s surprise, has taken to treating him like the surgeon general in the wake of the latest Republican healthcare proposal.
Kimmel used his show to tell everyone how terrible the bill is and to blast Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a co-sponsor of the most recent bill. He starts with the usual lie about people getting “kicked off” their health insurance. We know from the previous CBO reports, the bulk of the people “losing” health insurance are those who would not purchase a plan due to the lack of a federal mandate to do so. Democrats love to brag about coverage numbers, but that’s like bragging about people paying their taxes. The law mandates it, and the overwhelming majority of people will follow the law.
Kimmel also said the bill does away with protections for pre-existing conditions. “Individual states can let insurance companies charge more if you have a pre-existing condition.” That is not true. Under the legislation, states can apply for waivers to change what qualifies as an essential health benefit. They would still be required to preserve “adequate and affordable health insurance coverage” for people with pre-existing conditions.
Kimmel claims “federal funding disappears completely after 2026.” This is also not true. It would only be true assuming the block grants in the bill wouldn’t be reauthorized after 10 years. For some on the Left, they’ll be convinced it won’t happen, but the last time I checked, they didn’t have a crystal ball.
Kimmel spouts another error when he says plans won’t require maternity coverage or pediatric coverage. That is also not true. What it does not do, however, is force men or people without children to buy plans containing coverage elements they do not need.
Unfortunately, people will listen to Kimmel because he has a large platform. Also, those with vested political interests in keeping Obamacare intact will say he’s right. The problem is, many of people who will listen to Kimmel are the very same people they interview on the street who can’t name a branch of the government or anybody elected to Congress. Granted, it is his show. He can say whatever he wants.
It doesn’t serve the public well when the mainstream media, such as CNN and Politico, fall into the trap of giving his view credibility when he’s basing his criticism on nothing but information culled from liberal sources. What Kimmel does is present a great emotional viewpoint, and it allows the GOP to be framed as big ol’ meanies, hell-bent on “taking away” people’s healthcare.
But Jimmy Kimmel is short on facts, and the media should know better.
Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is an editorial writer at the Dallas Morning News. He is also a contributor to National Review.
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