Detroit News praises Gov. Snyder for "Healthy Michigan", fails to mention that it's Obamacare

Wed, 04/01/2015 - 12:47pm

Hey, journalism and political spinmeisters! Here's a great example of what not to do (if you're the former) and what to do (if you're the latter)!

Check out this story from the Detroit News about the success of Michigan's implementation of the Medicaid expansion provision of the Affordable Care Act, aka "Healthy Michigan":

Detroit — On the eve of the first anniversary of the Healthy Michigan Plan, Gov. Rick Snyder said Tuesday more than 603,000 Michiganians have enrolled since the expanded Medicaid Program launched on April 1, 2014.

Mazel Tov!! Over 600,000 Michiganders enrolled in a program enabled by and paid for by Obamacare! I'm sure they'll mention that in the 2nd paragraph, right?

The number exceeds by more than 100,000 people the two-year enrollment projections made prior to the program’s launch. The Healthy Michigan Plan provides health insurance to low-income working people for a minimal cost.

OK...maybe not. Perhaps the third paragraph?

Snyder announced the new total during remarks at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2015 Health Care Leaders Forum. The Republican governor, who battled to push the expansion through the GOP-led state House and Senate, said Michigan’s program can serve as a model for other states.

Hmmm...ok, do I hear four?

The expanded Medicaid program required special waivers from the U.S. Department of Human Services to charge participants up to 5 percent of their income.

Fifth time's the charm?

“The program is working, and people are using the program,” Snyder told business and health leaders at the annual event. “In terms of preventive care visits, the number now exceeds 450,000.

Nope. The Affordable Care Act doesn't get even a passing mention until the ninth paragraph, and even then there's absolutely no connection made between it and "Healthy Michigan", even though that's simply the name for the program completely enabled by and paid for by the ACA (they don't use the word "Obamacare" even once, which I guess I can take a pass on since that's not the actual name of the law):

Snyder said he views the federal Affordable Care Act “as probably one of the most polarizing things we’ve had in our country in a long time.”

...“The Affordable Care Act is not our long-term solution,” Snyder said. “I still believe we need fundamental health care reform in our country ... that talks about the cost structures, continuing to push the medical home model, other things that need to happen.”

At no point in the article does it actually say anything along the lines of "Healthy Michigan was created by and is being paid for by the Affordable Care Act". The way the story is written makes it sound as if the ACA was just some other healthcare policy-related topic, as opposed to being the sole reason the HM program exists at all.

Last summer I spent a lot of effort posting the following graphic after Mitch McConnell tried to pretend that "kynect" had no connection to the ACA: