In 1994, McCaughey vigorously criticized the health care reform package proposed by Bill Clinton in a widely read article in The New Republic. The piece, “No Exit“, won the National Magazine Award for excellence in the public interest. Supporters of the Clinton plan (including some of the editors of the New Republic) were vociferous in their criticism of McCaughey’s criticism.

(Andrew Sullivan, The New Republic’s then-editor later acknowledged “I was aware of the piece’s flaws but nonetheless was comfortable running it as a provocation to debate.”)

While the article was seized by conservative commentators seeking to discredit the Clinton plan, much of McCaughey’s article later proved inaccurate; particularly, her claims that “the law will prevent you from going outside the system to buy basic health coverage you think is better,” and that “doctor[s] can be paid only by the plan, not by you” were flatly contradicted by the text of the legislation. (Section 1003 of the Health Security Act provided that “[n]othing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting the following: (1) An individual from purchasing any health care services.”)

The New Republic ultimately recanted the story and apologized for it.