“Yes Virginia, There Are Death Panels”: Limbaugh Exploits Child Transplant Patient To Revive Obamacare Myth

Rush Limbaugh rehashed the widely debunked myth that President Obama's Affordable Care Act will result in death panels to smear Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, claiming that “Obamacare establishes death panels and right now Sebelius is it.”  

Limbaugh used the case of Sarah Murnaghan, a 10-year-old girl awaiting a lung transplant, as evidence that “The government's making the decision who lives and dies. That's what Obamacare is.” Later, Limbaugh responded to a caller, saying, “Yes Virginia, there are death panels.”

Despite Limbaugh's accusation, Politico reported that the Murnaghan case is not tied to the Affordable Care Act. According to Politico, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network sets policy for transplants, not Sebelius, and Republicans, not the Affordable Care Act, are pressuring Sebelius to intervene.

Limbaugh has repeatedly warned that mythical “death panels” are contained within the Affordable Care Act, even though his claims have been debunked.