The Difference Between Facts and Opinions

Facts and Opinions

Everything Policy’s approach to contemporary policy issues is illustrated by a quote from the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan: “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts.” We research, analyze, and publish facts – verifiable information about a policy topic. We leave it to our audience to make up their own minds – to form their opinions.

Our firm belief is that knowledge of the facts is key to a well-functioning democracy. Facts provide a basis for civil discourse. They provide a common understanding that is necessary for working out differences. Knowing the facts also helps people effectively express their demands about policy change or evaluate what elected officials do in their name.

Knowing the facts will not always generate agreement. Even in a world where everyone is well-informed, people could use the same facts to arrive at different conclusions about the merits of a policy. However, information mitigates disagreements arising from misunderstandings or misperceptions. It highlights the consequences of different policy choices. And it helps to identify possible compromises that everyone can live with, even if their opinions differ.

An Example: Health Care for the Undocumented

In a recent brief, we analyzed claims that undocumented individuals are receiving government-funded healthcare in hospital emergency rooms. Under federal law (EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act), hospitals are required to provide emergency treatment (including labor and delivery) to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay or citizenship status, with costs covered by the federal government through the Medicaid program.

Hospital obligations under EMTALA are limited to stabilizing patients. They are not obligated to treat underlying conditions or provide routine care. In fact, under EMTALA, if an initial examination reveals no emergency, the government will not reimburse the hospital for any care that is provided.

The chart below shows Medicaid spending in 2023 for different groups. The largest spending categories are for the disabled and seniors. Health care for the undocumented accounts for a very small share of the Medicaid program. (The chart omits Medicaid spending on Affordable Care Act subsidies, as these expired at the end of 2025; see our brief for details).

In addition to EMTALA, some states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and D.C) pay for health care for undocumented children, and a smaller number (California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Washington, and D.C.) cover some undocumented adults. Some private and public medical facilities also use their own funds to pay for undocumented health care.

What Do the Facts Tell Us?

None of these facts about EMTALA answers the question of whether undocumented individuals should receive medical care and who should pay for it. Someone can reasonably conclude that it is wrong for the government to spend anything on the undocumented. A second person might look at the same facts and conclude that the government should provide health care to everyone, regardless of their citizenship. Both opinions, as well as many in between, are equally consistent with the facts.

However, the facts help us understand the implications of different opinions. First, at least at the federal level, spending on undocumented health care is not a major burden. It amounts to .4% of expenditures on Medicaid, the federal health program for the poor. An individual can certainly believe that not even one federal dollar should be spent on undocumented health care. But it is not accurate to say that the EMTALA is bankrupting the federal government.

Second, the facts show that under certain circumstances, it is entirely legal for the undocumented to receive free health care. Whether some undocumented individuals manage to evade EMTALA restrictions to receive federally funded nonemergency care is an open question. But the fact that they are receiving care is not evidence of illegality.

Third, the facts highlight the harsh policy tradeoffs that underlie policies like EMTALA. It is certainly possible to require Americans to document their citizenship status when accessing medical care, and to mandate that people who cannot prove their citizenship status be turned away, even in emergency situations. Such a policy would end federal healthcare spending for the undocumented, but it would also affect many citizens who arrived at an emergency room without sufficient identification.

The Takeaway

Facts give us a basis for our opinions – for deciding what we think the government should do.

Facts don’t tell us what opinions we should hold, but they help us understand the implications of different policy choices.

Understanding the facts in a policy area is a first step towards civil discourse with people who hold different opinions.