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Fact check: What you need to know about the ad claiming Neil Anderson would cut Medicaid

“Reflect” is a 30-second ad that claims Illinois State Senate candidate Neil Anderson would target Medicaid for budget cuts.

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of political ad fact checks we are publishing heading into the November 4, 2014 general election.

“Reflect” is a 30-second ad that claims Illinois State Senate candidate Neil Anderson would target Medicaid for any budget cuts that might be necessary if he serves on the Illinois State Senate.

Watch the ad - click here.

The claim: The ad “Reflect” from Illinois State Senator Mike Jacobs shows a clip of his opponent, Neil Anderson, sayingMedicaid is probably the biggest one,” when asked where he would make cuts. The ad also claims “Anderson’s tea party funders want billions in cuts to Medicaid.”

What you should know: Video provided by the Jacobs campaign shows that Anderson said a little bit more.

“Medicaid is probably the biggest one and we need to reform the pension system,” is what Anderson said when someone in the audience asked where he would be willing to make the cuts. The ad edited a slightly different answer with the question.

The ad uses Illinois Board of Elections; Senate GOP Reality Check Budget; and Chicago Daily Observer 5/22/12 as the sources for the claim about Anderson’s tea party funders wanting billions in cuts to Medicaid.

The Chicago Daily Observer's article was written on May 22, 2012 by Dan Proft, President of Illinois Liberty PAC.

The article is more of a commentary, expressing opposition to what he describes as Democrat's "non-reform of the state's Medicaid program." A portion of the article reads:

"Illinois Liberty PAC will be monitoring the votes of Republican lawmakers. Republican legislators who vote to raise taxes, increase spending, grow the Medicaid rolls and--incredibly--implement Obamacare when Republicans across the rest of the nation are smartly resisting the siren song of federal largesse, will be targeted for replacement in the 2014 primary election season."

The Jacobs campaign says Proft has poured money into Anderson's races, both in 2012 and 2014. However, a review of campaign contributors from the Illinois State Board of Elections for Neil Anderson for IL 72nd District and Anderson for Illinois, shows no contributions from Proft or Illinois Liberty PAC.

The Senate GOP Reality Check Budget, used as a source in the ad, is referring to "Reality Check, A plan for reality-based budgeting," from the Illinois State Republican Caucus in March 2011.

A portion of that plan addressed Medicaid and called for major Medicaid reforms with a targeted savings of 12.5% of the total $10.4 billion in Medicaid costs.

The document highlighted those changes:

"This goal could be achieved through a myriad of possible actions including reviewing the cost of drugs, increasing co-pays, rolling back eligibility levels from the higher end of income levels for various programs including FamilyCare and AABD, establishing an asset for the All Kids program similar to asset tests applied to other Medicaid programs, reviewing optional services provided by the Illinois' Medicaid program that are not mandated by the federal government, considering moving eligibility levels in some Medicaid programs to the national average, a review of certain provider rates, and reviewing the purpose of the $200 million, "other related medical" line item in the DHFS budget which has been used to fund pet agency projects such as publicity campaigns and outreach efforts."

The targeted savings for the plan were $1.3 billion.
What's next: We will fact check an ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee targeting Congressman Bruce Braley.

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Watch for our Political Ad Fact Check reports Wednesdays and Sunday nights on News 8 at 10 p.m.

Check out our continuing Political Fact Check coverage, click here.

Fact check: What you need to know about the ad claiming Neil Anderson would cut Medicaid

 

 

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