Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Obama Story Turns Out to Be (Partially) False

Patient was dropped by insurer, but fought back, and got treatment

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 17, 2009 8:59 AM CDT

(Newser) – One of the most poignant passages from Barack Obama's recent address to Congress concerned an Illinois cancer patient who died, the president said, because his insurer dropped him after discovering an unreported gallstone. In fact, reports the Wall Street Journal, Otto Raddatz did have his coverage rescinded in 2005—but with the help of the Illinois attorney general, his family got it reinstated within three weeks, and he obtained the critical stem-cell transplant he needed. Raddatz died this year, four years after the showdown.

Raddatz's sister testified before Congress this spring, saying that he eventually did receive treatment. The error in Obama's speech may derive from a report by Slate writer Timothy Noah, who incorrectly wrote that "The delay in treatment eliminated Raddatz's chances of recovery, and he died." Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who serves on the subcommittee that investigated the case, said the president's aides should have been more careful but added: "To focus on that is kind of a 'gotcha.'"

[Images (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

President Barack Obama speaks to a joint session of Congress on health care at the US Capitol in Washington, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, pool)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn't reported gallstones that he didn't even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it. - Barack Obama, in an address to Congress

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Dummy Firms Squeeze Millions From Medicare

Fraud-fighters finding it hard to stay ahead of shell companies

(NEWSER) - Fraudsters using complicated networks of ghost companies are sucking hundreds of millions of dollars out of Medicare every year and it's a bit like taking candy from a baby, a Reuters investigation finds. The probe—which officials say will likely lead to a criminal investigation of the firms involved—found that the "companies" of many Medicare providers are registered to nonexistent addresses, or the addresses of abandoned buildings. The thieves use stolen doctor and patient data to bill Medicare for as much money as possible in a short time. More»

White House Gives States More Say on Health Law

Proposal would let them determine 'essential benefits'

(NEWSER) - In a potentially big shift, the White House is poised to give states much more flexibility on how to implement a key part of health care reform. Under a proposal outlined by health chief Kathleen Sebelius, the federal government would largely let states determine what "essential health benefits" would be offered to residents and businesses come 2014. The New York Times calls it a "major surprise," and NPR says it "may or may not be a punt." More»

Gingrich Backed Individual Health Care Mandate

And other big government programs that benefited his clients: NYT

(NEWSER) - These days, like most Republicans, Newt Gingrich says he's opposed to the individual mandate in the Democrats' health care reform bill, which forces Americans to hold insurance. But in a May 2009 conference call with health care executives, Gingrich sang a very different tune, the New York Times has learned. "We believe there should be must-carry; that is, everybody should have health insurance," Gingrich said, "or, if you're an absolute libertarian, we would allow you to post a bond." More»

Health Reform Insured 2.5M Young People

Coverage up among 19- to 25-year-olds, now eligible for parents' insurance

(NEWSER) - Roughly 2.5 million people between the ages of 19 and 25 have gained health insurance since President Obama signed his health care reform bill, more than double the 1 million the White House had been expecting, according to a new administration analysis. The bump is almost entirely due to a provision in a law that allows young people to remain on their parents' coverage until age 26. More»

I Was Wrong: ObamaCare May Save Me

One breast cancer patient's apology to the president

(NEWSER) - Until about a month ago, Spike Dolomite Ward was so upset with Barack Obama that she’d taken a Sharpie to her bumper sticker, changing its message from "Got hope" to "Got nope." Now, she’s publicly apologizing. What changed? “I found out three weeks ago I have cancer,” she writes in the LA Times . And though she and her husband work hard—he owns a small computer business, while she runs a nonprofit—they didn’t have health insurance. After years spent struggling to purchase their own insurance, going so far as to cash in an IRA and use a home equity line of credit, "the time finally came when we had to make a choice between paying our mortgage or paying for health insurance,” she explains. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Obama Story Turns Out to Be (Partially) False