Did U.S. politician Sarah Palin endorse a "dental giveback" program for seniors? No, that's not true: The video of the former governor of Alaska is an edited version of a Cameo video she had previously recorded for a different purpose. The website promoted in the post with the edited video appears to be a health care scam, as there is no evidence that it helps seniors qualify for a "Dental Giveback Program."
The claim appeared in a post with a video on Facebook on January 28, 2023. The caption reads, "BREAKING: Seniors 65+ Are Getting $0 Cost Dental Coverage In 2023. Unless You Take Action Now... You Won't Be Able To Claim This New Dental Package." The video opens with Palin saying:
Hey, if you are over 65 ... You know, rules are changing.
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of the writing of this fact check:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Feb 2 19:13:44 2023 UTC)
The half-minute video of Palin, posted on Life Blog's Facebook page, appears to be an edited version of a longer Cameo video she recorded in which she tells viewers "you can make a 15-minute call to get affordable Medicare coverage." The account Senior Times posted her Cameo video on Facebook in August 2021. A link in the Info section of Senior Times' Facebook page goes to SeniorCoverage.org, which appears to be an insurance brokerage firm.
The 30-second video from Life Blog, apparently derived from the longer Cameo video, does not show the "cameo" logo on the bottom left of the screen that is on the longer version.
Palin offers business videos for $2,000 on her Cameo account:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Feb 2 19:20:12 2023 UTC)
The edited video begins with Palin saying, "Hey, if you are over 65 ..." then cuts to another angle of her saying, "You know, rules are changing." Instead of a steady stream, this video cuts to different parts of the longer video. The full text of what she says in the 30-second edited video is:
Hey, if you are over 65 ... you know, rules are changing. If you paid into the system, all these years, seniors, as these rules are changing you may not know about all the changes. Well, American seniors are eligible for proper benefits. This does take a step in the right direction so make that 15-minute call to get affordable coverage that you paid into. It's yours.
Paleo's Cameo video is one long shot of her in the snow with her dog and snow machine in the background. That video begins:
Hey, Sarah Palin here. Hey, if you are over 65 and you've been affected by the pandemic ... You know, rules are changing. The government is forever changing rules. You know, there needs to be a lot of reform with Medicare, but, if you paid into the system all these years, seniors, and now you're affected by the pandemic, as these rules are changing, you may not know about all the changes ...
She continues, saying, "Well, American seniors are eligible for proper Medicare benefits. Again, you've paid into the system ... This does take a step in the right direction, so make that 15-minute call."
There are no credible news reports of a government "dental giveback program" being offered as of February 2, 2023, as the Facebook post claims. Medicare does not include dental care.
The link on the Life Blog Facebook page goes to www.rightsexpert.com, which asks several personal questions and then provides a phone number to call for further information if callers meet the eligibility criteria.
HealthCare.gov, a health insurance exchange operated by the federal government, points out that official announcements and communications always come from websites and emails that end in the domain ".gov."
Lead Stories contacted Palin multiple times for comment about the "dental giveback" claim and did not receive a response. Lead Stories also reached out to SeniorCoverage.org for comment and will update the story if a response is received.
Lead Stories debunked a similar claim that President Joe Biden announced a program giving "health credits" to anyone making under $50,000 a year and also has debunked multiple claims about "new" stimulus plans that supposedly give people various amounts of cash.
