A September 20 New York Post article claimed, “In a statement on his Web site, [Republican presidential candidate Fred] Thompson says [Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) health-care] proposal would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job -- a job they would likely need in the first place in order to get health insurance.” The article went on to quote Thompson saying in his statement, “What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help somebody is to punish them?” In fact, Clinton has not said that her health-care plan “would require Americans to provide proof of insurance” to potential employers. According to a September 18 Associated Press article, Clinton said in an interview with the AP: “At this point, we don't have anything punitive that we have proposed” for people who do not purchase health insurance as required by her plan. Clinton added, “We're providing incentives and tax credits which we think will be very attractive to the vast majority of Americans.” The article also stated that Clinton “said she could envision a day when 'you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview -- like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination,' but said such details would be worked out through negotiations with Congress.”

As Media Matters for America previously noted, the Drudge Report, the website of Internet gossip Matt Drudge, similarly misrepresented what Clinton said about proof of health insurance. On September 18, Drudge linked to the September 18 AP article with the false headline “HEALTH INSURANCE PROOF REQUIRED FOR WORK” under a picture of Clinton.

The following day, as Media Matters also noted, a New York Post article contradicted itself on the issue of Clinton's health-care plan. The September 19 article bore the headline “Hill Care-ried Away: Employees Must Prove Insurance” and reported that Clinton said “everyone eventually would have to prove they have health insurance when they apply for a job.” But in the next sentence, Post correspondent Geoff Earle quoted Clinton saying that “she could envision a day when 'you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview,' ” [emphasis added], not that workers will “have to prove they have health insurance.”

From Thompson's September 19 statement:

On Tuesday, September 18th, the Associated Press reported, "[Hillary Clinton] said she could envision a day when 'you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview -- like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination,' but said such details would be worked out through negotiations with Congress."

In his video message, Thompson asks, “What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help somebody is to punish them?”

Thompson continues, “I understand Hillary Clinton has just acknowledged that her new health care plan could require somebody to actually prove they've got insurance before they can get a job. You know, a job -- the thing that would help you get health care. That kind of mindset is that the government knows best and if you don't agree, then you're just going to have to pay for it, one way or the other. The best way to improve the best health care in the world, which is what we've got right here in the United States, is to expand choice, not punishment.

From the September 20 edition of the New York Post:

Fred Thompson lashed out at Hillary Rodham Clinton's proposed government-mandated health-care plan yesterday, calling it ”scary enough to make you sick."

In a statement on his Web site, Thompson says the proposal would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job -- a job they would likely need in the first place in order to get health insurance.

“What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help somebody is to punish them?” the Republican presidential candidate wondered.

A Clinton campaign spokesman said her plan changes nothing for those who already have health insurance.

“If Mr. Thompson has a plan to help every American get quality, affordable health care, we must have missed it,” Blake Zeff said.

Thompson also worried about Clinton's idea of leaving it to Congress to work out some of the fine print.

“That's a thought scary enough to make you sick,” he said.