Gun-rights group says health care bill could harm gun owners

The Gun Owners of America sent an alert to members warning that the Baucus bill "could be used to ban guns in home self-defense." PolitiFact.com evaluated this claim to be FALSE. 

The GOA hypothesized that, in a bid to control spiraling health care costs, the Obama administration will target people who have "excessively dangerous" behaviors that officials believe raise the cost of health care. The group warned that gun ownership — particularly keeping "a loaded firearm for self-defense" — is likely to be high on that list.

PolitiFact.com concludes that since there is no mention of either "gun" or "firearm" in the Baucus bill, there's no explicit support for the group's claim. Moreover, although the GOA correctly asserts that the bill "will punish Americans who engage in unhealthy behavior by allowing insurers to charge them higher premiums," these unhealthy behaviors do not include firearms possession. Tobacco use, mentioned specifically in the bill, is an example of what constitutes "unhealthy behavior."

Ultimately, while the GOA is right that a more behavioral approach to pricing health care seems to be gaining steam, it is a giant and overly speculative leap to say that the Baucus bill "could be used to ban guns in home self-defense." There is nothing in the bill itself to indicate that is contemplated.

To read the full analysis from PolitiFact.org, click here.