Obama's health care address: A closer look at what he said

WASHINGTON -- The health care debate in Congress has been plagued for months by misinformation and bickering by Democrats and Republicans trying to define how the changes being proposed would affect hospitals, doctors and patients.

President Obama tried to cut through what he called "this blizzard of charges and counter-charges" in an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night.

Here's a closer look at some of his statements in the context of what's happening on Capitol Hill:

The statement:"Nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have."

The context:A Gallup Poll report this month showed that 87% of people with private insurance rate the quality of their care as "good" or "excellent." Obama needs to convince those people that the health care system needs change and ease fears they could lose their coverage.

Although it is true that the bills in the House and Senate do not directly force people to change their current coverage, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicts some employers may change coverage options, which means some employees would indirectly be forced out of their current plans.

"Some firms are likely to buy different coverage for their workers than they have now, or simply drop coverage and pay a penalty instead, leaving workers to buy their own private coverage or go on a new federal insurance plan," according to FactCheck.org, a website run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

Under the House bill, companies that self-insure would have to modify their benefit packages after five years if they don't meet minimum standards. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 11 million to 12 million people would opt for a proposed government-run insurance program.

The statement:A government-run insurance plan would "keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better."