New TV ads hit Tillis on women’s health, Hagan on federal insurance

In a new ad for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Thom Tillis this week, Kentucky Republican senator and 2016 presidential hopeful Rand Paul says: “As a physician and a senator, it bothers me that Kay Hagan doesn’t think you’re smart enough to choose your doctor.”

The ad refers to complaints of some people that they couldn’t keep their doctors under the Affordable Care Act.

But a poll earlier this year by the Kaiser Family Foundation suggested that most people feel their choice of doctors is the same or better under insurance plans that comply with the new law this year. Read more here: http://bit.ly/11wqZs2

It found, among other things, that 32 percent of people who switched plans said they had fewer choices for primary doctors, 55 percent said they had about the same and 10 percent said they had more choice. The same survey found 75 percent of respondents were satisfied with the choice of primary care doctor under the new plans, while 19 percent were very or somewhat unsatisfied, and 6 percent didn’t know. The survey is here: http://bit.ly/1sqMF4y

Paul is an opthamologist and Duke University School of Medicine graduate. He supported Greg Brannon of Cary, the candidate who had the most tea party backing, in North Carolina’s Republican primary for the Senate race.

Paul visited North Carolina on Oct. 1 to stump for Tillis. Here’s his ad, paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

There also are two new ads from the Hagan campaign attacking Tillis for defunding Planned Parenthood.

“Thom Tillis’ actions have fundamentally changed access to health care for women across this state. That’s not right,” says Anna, a woman from Black Mountain who speaks in one of them.

The other is by Neva, a primary care doctor in Chapel Hill.

“Thom Tillis led the effort to defund planned parenthood,” she said.

The 2011 state budget prevented Planned Parenthood from receiving state money. Tillis was speaker of the state House at the time. Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed the budget, the legislature overrode her veto. Tillis voted for the budget and the override.

A federal judge later disallowed the provision. U.S. District Judge James Beaty Jr. said lawmakers had made clear that the denial of funds was intended as political punishment for the organization.

In 2012 the legislature passed a budget prohibiting state contracts for family planning or pregnancy prevention services. Although not named, Planned Parenthood was the only private entity fitting that description.

But in 2012, Planned Parenthood applied directly for federal family planning money and won a grant for $426,000, more than three times the amount the legislature originally withheld.

The ads: