PolitiFact.com
via Tampa Bay Times
5/19/2013
Sen. Mitch McConnell says the Obama administration has created a “culture of intimidation” in Washington.
One example: Obamacare.
“Over at HHS back during the Obamacare debate, Secretary (Kathleen) Sebelius sent out a directive to help insurance companies telling them they couldn’t inform their policyholders of what they thought the impact of Obamacare would be on them.” McConnell, R-Ky., said on Meet the Press on May 19, 2013…
…Our ruling
McConnell said that Sebelius told insurance companies “they couldn’t inform their policyholders of what they thought the impact of Obamacare would be on them.”
Her letter to AHIP didn’t go quite that far, but Sebelius was definitely seeking to muzzle the insurers because she felt they were giving false, self-serving information. The letter sought to discourage them with a not-so-subtle threat of regulatory action. Although McConnell was exaggerating that the companies were prohibited from these communications, the talk of regulatory action was significant and could fairly be taken as an attempt to intimidate.
We rate McConnell’s claim Mostly True.
Read the whole thing at Tampa Bay Times.
