Homing in on health care facts

A vote expected on Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives would repeal major parts of Obamacare and is seen as a crucial test of the leadership of Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, the House speaker.

Ryan has championed what some are calling “Trumpcare,” legislation that President Donald Trump told fellow Republicans they must pass or they will risk losing their seats in Congress.

How the vote will turn out in the GOP-controlled House remained unclear a day before the vote. Some House Republicans, as well as Senate Republicans such as Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson, have criticized the legislation.

In the last week and a half, PolitiFact Wisconsin has done fact checks on three claims made about what is formally known as the American Health Care Act. They touch on whether the GOP replacement for the Affordable Care Act will benefit the rich and result in lower premiums.

Here’s a look:

$600 billion for ‘the wealthiest’?

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said that under the GOP plan, “$600 billion worth of tax breaks will go to the wealthiest in this country.” Our rating was Half True. Tax cuts that constitute roughly half the $600 billion go only to people on the high end of the income scale. But other tax changes benefit people across the economic spectrum.

Millions for health care execs?

Another Wisconsin Democrat, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, said the GOP plan would let insurance executives “personally make millions off your health care.” Our rating: Mostly False. A provision she cites is a tax break for corporations, not executives. And there’s no way to know how much of it would be turned into compensation for executives.

Lower premiums?

Ryan said that for people who

buy health insurance on their own, the bill “will lower premiums.” That was rated Half True. Under the GOP proposal, premiums are expected to be higher than Obamacare in 2018 and 2019, but lower than Obamacare after that.