Hannity frets about Obamacare sign-up glitches delaying ambulances

Sean Hannity took time during his radio broadcast on Tuesday to worry about poor people who need an ambulance right away, but are stuck hitting the "refresh" command on their browsers, waiting to access the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- sign-up screens.

According to Media Matters, Hannity compared Obamacare to the Ford Edsel, a notorious Detroit misfire from the 1950s. He moved on to what he apparently believes is the greatest immediate threat from Obamacare, that people will be so busy filling out online forms that they will die before they qualify to call an ambulance.

"Think of how you'd feel today if you actually had a medical emergency -- had to go through this mess before they send an ambulance. At least the Ford Edsel wasn't a matter of life and death," he said.

Hannity is missing some important facts here, most importantly the fact that Tuesday marked the beginning of sign-ups for the Affordable Care Act. Actual coverage does not begin until January.

Also, as Media Matters' Brian Powell correctly noted, in 1986, Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which stipulates that no Emergency Room can turn away a person in need of medical treatment, regardless of their ability to pay.

Watch video of Hannity's remarks, embedded below via Media Matters: