. claims of rigged elections and fears of voter intimidation. today we discuss what's being done to make sure everyone's vote counts in philadelphia. sticker shock over soaring health care premiums. today we zero in on why it's happening and we have tips for softening the blow. and skip the prep. a local doctor has an alternative to the unpopular drink people need to chug down before a colonoscopy. we'll tell you what this doc is doing instead, something he says can save lives. >> announcer: nbc 10 ought issue sta starts now. good morning, welcome on this sunday. republican presidential candidate donald trump was first to complain of voter fraud, pointing the finger directly at philadelphia. and since then, his claims have kind of gained steam with

republicans demanding poll watchers from outside the county to observe on election day. so we sent deanna durante out. >> reporter: there are more than 3700 voting machines in the city of philadelphia. they are all the same so people should have the same experience no matter where you vote. workers have been making sure that all voting machines are working, the ballots that you'll see are appropriate to the election, and that this card that holds your vote is secure. each machine is tagged and locked. it will be open at the polls. >> there's no hacking into 4,000 stand-alone votie ining machine. they're not connected to the irngt net. >> reporter: he says there have been voter fraud but after votes have been cast and by people able to access the numbers. >> they've indicted people, prosecuted people and there have been guilty pleas in almost every case. >> reporter: smith says audits

post-election show how many showed up and how many voted. the final votes are counted up until about three weeks post-election. so even though your vote is scored counted and pripted out, all other votes along with it are counted again. >> anytime a vote is cast on a voting machine in philadelphia, it can't be taken away. >> reporter: and when it comes to numbers, how many people use this machine? two counters on the back, one shows the number of the votes cast for lifetime of the machine, the other the votes cast just for this election. in north philadelphia, nbc 10 news. >> an inside look there. joining me are david thornburg, president and ceo of the committee of 70. the committee of 70 is a watch dog group that keeps an eye on philadelphia elections to make sure they're fair and also with us is ryan godfrey, an election board official, works on the at the polls on election day to make sure the process kind of runs smoothly, no problems and we welcome both of you. thanks for being here. i want to ask both of you about

these claims by donald trump that the election is rigged. is there any evidence that that can or will take place here in philadelphia? >> no, no, no and no. i mean, this has been -- since he started making these claims in late august it's been ricochetting around the internet and seemingly gaining its own steam because it's repeated so often. we've looked into it. the chairman of the republican party in pennsylvania, in philadelphia, and our republican elected commissioner al schmidt have all said nonsense. so it's hard to know where to begin in making sense because there is no sense to be made of these claims. but that's what we're here to do. >> one of the reasons you want to be involved on election day is you want to make sure the process is fair, right? >> yeah. after 2012 there were some allegations that things were strange in the philadelphia elections. there were 59 divisions in

philadelphia that had no votes for mitt romney and people particularly not in philadelphia but in other places kind of thought that was a funny many number and thought something must be up. i think donald trump and sean hannity and some of those people have taken that and run with it this election to cite this as clear proof that there there's fraud happening and it happened in the last election in philadelphia and it's going to happen again this year. >> how can we be sure? for instance, that there aren't dead people on the rolls still voting somehow? >> you can come at this from a number of different angles. what i try to remind people is, this is a complicated human system. it's sort of a pop-up. it only happens twice a year. it's basically an all-volunteer army. the men and women who sit behind the table at election boards are essentially s lly volunteer vol. so people make mistakes. te it's a human system. and occasionally someone tries

to manipulate the system at what i call petty fraud, a couple of votes here or there. nothing in all of that leads you to the conclusion that you even could entertain the possibility of the sort of wholesale fraud rigging that i think the trump campaign has been putting out there. very irresponsibly. >> difference between an error and rigging an entire process. >> yeah. here's a news flash. people make mistakes. people copy numbers down wrong. they lose things. someone signing into a poll book signs the wrong name. it's smith jr. rather than smith sr. >> or the wrong place in the poll book. sign above or below. >> you've seen that happen. >> sure, yeah. >> so are you convinced philadelphia is prepared for any problems with voter intimidation? we know donald trump is calling for observers to watch the process to make sure it's fair. >> he hasn't said exactly what

that means. he's kind of said you know what to do. and i'm not sure that anyone actually does know what he means by that. so i'm worried as an inspector, elections official, that people are not going to know and going to have their own ideas about what that means to watch closely. >> have you had any training as toe what to do if there are problems win tim daigs? >> no more than the regular election machine, how to do this and open the polls an how to close the polls. we talked about -- they give us numbers to call. we have a phone issued by the city in the event of any problems but nothing specifically this year or indeed in past years to say, this is what you need to do if there's intimidation going on. >> so what would you do? if you see something? >> i would call the commissioners, the hotline they give us, and i would encourage the citizens if they see that as well. remember, we're inside and we cannot necessarily see what's happening outside the poll booth. there may well be intimidation going on on the street that

we're just not going to be able to see from inside. so i would say call the district attorney task force particularly if you see something like that. they've got a staff ready to mobilize to do something about that. >> how concerned are you about this? >> i'm a little concerned just because we don't -- we haven't been told what he thinks needs to happen there. and there are probably people not familiar with the city who are going to come into town and it's unclear what their goals will be. >> well, i'm maybe a little less concerned because at the end of the day you have to have faith in the integrity of all of our friends and neighbors who are really the bedrock of this process. again, the thousands of volunteers who staff the election board. and there are multiple lines of defense against fraud and also to ward off any potential intimidation. first thing you do is to let the election board, the officials on site, know there's a problem. second as ryan says you call the city commissioners and the

district attorney's office. we're also participating in a statewide and actually nationwide voter hotline that's staffed by folks that have been doing this for decades. that number is 866-our-vote. so you've got about three or four different options that you can exercise if you see something. >> several pennsylvania republicans have filed lawsuit in fact to allow out-of county people to come into philadelphia to watch the polls. >> that's not going to happen. that was -- they with were trying to pick up the thread from a piece of legislation that stalled. it stalled because if you get no either republican or democratic support to get it through the house -- >> and it's a few years old. >> it was reintroduced. but now there's a lawsuit filed. we've only got now i think 12 days before the election, and any election official around the commonwealth would tell you, you change the rules with 12 days out, and that's an invitation to chaos. >> so what do we do, though, if

there are out-of-county people who come and hang out outside the polling places? >> i'll just say briefly, don't take them on yourself. you know, you call in the district attorney and leave it up to them. the last thing you want to do is sort of mix things up, take some personal affront. but you've got to make the system work. >> all right. biggest piece of advice is, on election day, if you see something at your polling place, speak to the election officials who are on site. >> yes. >> and also call the district attorney. >> yes. we have a phone number, a phone they've issued to make sure the responses are handled adequately and swiftly. >> what prompted you to become an election official? i know you wrote about this. >> yeah. so i'm a software product manager by day. i'm kind of loving the numbers. i love the data side of voting. always just been really fascinated by the voting itself.

how do with we make this happen? what machines do we use? how do we assure the process all the way through from start to finish to make sure that the people are satisfied with the result and know that it's fair? and i wanted to be be a little bit of a part of that, after the romney allegations, not from romney but from other people, about the zero votes, that kind of piqued my interest a little bit. and i thought, hey, maybe i should get involved with this and just make sure that i can lend my stamp of approval on the fairness of this election. >> broader picture here, david, do you foresee problems outside of philadelphia? what are you hearing? >> you know, i just actually tuned in to a nationwide web cast of election officials from all over the place. there are a lot of the same concerns that we've talked about. i still don't -- i think the bark is much more substantial than the actual bite is going to

be. because i have faith in folks like ryan here. they're just everyday citizen whoz stand up and say, i'd like to be part of this, i want to ensure the integrity of it. and the people who run the process are also dedicated professionals. the people that we pay with our tax dollars. so i think that we have to calibrate our expectations at that level but also prepare in case something crazy happens. >> all right, well you sound like you're ready for anything. it's important to remember just to vote on election day, november 8th. >> that's the most important thing. >> david thornburg of the committee of 70, ryan godfrey an election official on election day. thank you for joining us today. >> sure. >> thanks, jim. coming up next on "nbc 10! @ issue," sticker shock. health care premiums could skyrocket and what you can do if anything to hold on to your hard-earned cash.

>> announcer: this is "nbc 10! @ issue." welcome back. new concerns over the rising

cost of health care have many people scrambling to rework their budgets. just as enrollment is about to begin, some policyholders have learned their premiums are going way up. nbc 10's rosemary connors tells uz for some the hike could be as much as 50%. >> i think everybody should be entitled to good medical care. >> reporter: david sheeber who owns jonathan best gourmet grocer tells me his wife and 11-year-old daughter get their health insurance through obamacare. he's aware insurers in pennsylvania have requested an average rate increase of nearly 33% for next year. but sheeber believes it's money well spent. >> it makes me feel confident that i've got a good insurance policy that covers everything, that i don't have to worry about down the road. >> reporter: we did some digging and found that some policies in pennsylvania, for example, an average plan for a 27-year-old, could go up by as much as 53% or $113 each month.

>> our policy premiums went up. our doctors changed. our co-pays went up. >> reporter: dominick na nast ra who works for sheeber gets his insurance through his wife's employer. he says he's also noticed an increase in their costs. >> it's affecting me. it's affecting any regular joe. >> reporter: rosemary connors, nbc 10 news. >> and joining me now is adam beck, a professor of health insurance at the american college in brimmore. thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. >> why are premiums going up this much? >> with we've got two things going on. on one hand, you have the reason that premiums are going up on the obamacare marketplaces this year. that's basically a result of the fact that you have fewer people enrolling in the exchanges than was originally projected. more of those people are less healthy. they're older. and so that has caused some rate shifting for the insurers. and as a result of that, you've seen insurers leaving the

marketplace so that's competition. in additionally in kind of what's happening this year, the reinsurance program that kind of acted as bumpers, if you've ever gone bowling and had the bumpers up, that's the reinsurance program. that expires at the end of this year. so insurers are raising premiums as a result of that. the other aspect is what we see in any sort of marketplace where insurance is sold, and that's that health care is really expensive in this country. so those two things are happening simultaneously so you have rates going up in places like philadelphia county very substantially. >> now, we should make it clear we're not talking about people who get their health insurance or health care coverage through their employer. their premiums may be going up, may go down. we're talking about people who are getting their health care, health insurance, through the obamacare health care.gov program. >> exactly. this is a small segment comparatively seeking of society. i mean, it's still millions of people. there are about 11 million people right now on the obamacare exchanges, the aca

marketplace. the vast majority of those, about 85%, receive federal subsidies from us the taxpayers that keep their premiums in check. so in your intro you mentioned sticker shock. that's exactly right, it's sticker price for those who have employer-based coverage, again, you're right, their premiums may go up, but that's a different conversation. here this is about the roughly 11 million people purchasing individual plans through the obamacare exchanges, most of whom will pay the same out of pocket because it's pegged to their household income. >> so this happens during the reenrollment period. some may not be paying close attention and all of a sudden they realize, my next payment is going through the roof. there are things to do, shop around for instance. >> absolutely. first of all, be aware that if you are in that with 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level, you're likely going to have subsidized coverage so what you pay out of pocket is going to be different from what you see on the screen or what you might see on the news when you see that rates are going up.

but there's more than one obamacare plan. there's kind of a misconception this is more like traditional medicare where there's just one form of obamacare if you will. there are so many different plans, in a place like philadelphia county, or newark, they're going up far less than philadelphia county, and part of that is because you have such robust competition of plans. in some areas. so be sure to shop around. talk to a licensed agent or broker, to a navigator if you are unable to afford an agent or broker, and find out, what am i going to pay out of pocket? what is my deductible going to be? and make sure you're buying a plan right for you because it's not one size fits all. >> adam beck, professor at american college in brynn more, we appreciate your help navigating our way through this spike in premiums. >> absolutely. >> appreciate it. up next, there may be a way to avoid one of the most unpleasant parts of a common

cancer screening, the dreaded prep drink. we'll explain how, next. they'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks. and you can tell them to go f--- themselves! i could stand in the middle of 5th avenue and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters, okay? it's like incredible. when mexico sends its people, they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. you know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever... you gotta see this guy - ahh, i don't know what i said, ahh. "i don't remember." he's going like, "i don't remember!" our children and grandchildren will look back at this time... ...at the choices we are about to make. the goals we will strive for. the principles we will live by. and we need to make sure that they can be proud of us. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message.

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>> announcer: this is "nbc 10! @ issue." welcome back. colonoscopies save lives by preventing cancer before it begins, but far too many people avoid the screening because of things like fear of the results or fear of pain. and people also avoid that colonoscopy because of the preparation, gulping down that gallon of often unpleasant tasting solution. now a local doctor has an alternative. with me is dr. steven blake. he is a gastroenterologist with a private practice in mt. airy. doctor, thanks for being here. you're telling me ent r i don't have to do the drink the day before? and i can still have a colonoscopy. >> if you don't want to, we have an alternative available for you. >> how does that work? >> it's a process called a colon hydro cleanse, a term i coined myself. basically, it is involving a high enema of sorts where we use

nothing but ultraviolet treated water, no chemicals, pure water, that flows into your colon and we have a technique i developed to heen sure that all of the feces is completely evacuated, 95% of the time, plus compared to 65% to 75% of the time for the oral prep. after my technicians have performed the cleanse, you are brought into my surgery center and we perform the colonoscopy and you go home and you feel like you've been to the spa. >> really? how many patients have gone through this treatment? >> with we started doing it in october of 2013, and i've done approximately 2,000 procedures with the colon hydro cleanse technique. >> it's important for you to be able to get a clear view of the colon. obviously you don't want anything that's going to obstruct the view of the colon because what are you looking for ther there? >> you're exactly right. it's very important that the

entire colon is as clean as the palm of my hand in order for us to detect the smallest of polyps. and obviously looking for cancer as well. but a clean colon is a must. that's been probably the achilles heel for years as far as the effectiveness of performing colonoscopies to accomplish a clean coal colloco. with this cleanse, it's tolerable, it eliminates the need for you to be up all night long drinking the solution, on the ka mode and what have you. you come in approximately one hour before your scheduled colonoscopy. the cleanse is performed, you're cleaned out, brought into the surgery center. >> you still fast the day before. >> it's important you don't eat anything the day before just because you're having a colon hydro cleanse as opposed to drinking the prep, you still can't eat anything solid. food is what makes the fecal matter, and so if you eat the day before, as opposed to a liquid fast, that food that you

eat will transverse the small intestine and enter the colon and you'll be forever trying to clean the colon out. >> now, who should be getting colonoscopies? what are the guidelines? i know there's been discussion about when you start at what will age and why is it soscreen? >> well, it's important to have the screening because colon cancer is preventable first of all, via the fact if you find and rehe move a polyp, then the polyp which is the pre to the colon cancer is not there to develop into cancer. >> also important to know, will insurance cover your cleanse as opposed to that drink? >> well, the cleanse is not covered by insurance. it's a for-fee service. >> what is the cost for the clensz? >> the cleanse is $200 as of january. >> dr. steven blake, thanks so much for being here. an alternative to that dreaded prep drink. >> thank you for inviting me. >> appreciate it. >> we asked several medical

organizations that represent gastroenterologists what they thought much the colon hydro cleanse. we were told, the college has no position on specific brands of preps but recommends a split dose prep schedule to provide the best prep. that's what at least half of what an oral prep is given on the day of the colonoscopy. >> we'll be right back. i served under president bush and obama. i fought the taliban. i was asked to form a global coalition to counter isil. when someone makes the comment that they know more about the islamic state or isil

than do the generals, it implies a complete ignorance of the reality. but i believe secretary clinton really understands the threat that the islamic state poses to the united states and to the american people. and i believe she understands how to wield american power to ultimately defeat this threat and to keep us safe. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. republican party bosses looked to find brian fitzpatrick. nearly three thousand miles - that's how far away they "hand-picked" him to run for his brother's seat. but all mike and brian fitzpatrick share is a name. brian fitzpatrick supports a radical republican agenda, including defunding planned parenthood, just like donald trump. a hundred and sixty miles down the road in dc, brian fitzpatrick will put his party first, not pennsylvania families. house majority pac is responsible for the content of this advertising.

>> announcer: this is "nbc 10! @ issue." so don't forget, election day is november 8th. if you voted in the past in pennsylvania, new jersey or delaware, you do not need to show a photo i.d. to vote. if you're a first-time voter you may be asked for i.d. in pennsylvania and new jersey, your driver's license, passport, a student or employee i.d., a paycheck or bank statement will work. that's it for this edition of "nbc 10! @ issue." thanks so much for joining us. have a great sunday. go eagles!

happy halloween weekend to you across the united states, from arlo white and lee dixon. our premier league treat is a contest between two sides in excellent form. reports of chelsea's demise see greatly exaggerated. a switch in system have provided three straight league wins without conceding a goal. three points today and chelsea would leap over spurs and into the top four, just a point behind the early pace setters. manchester city. arsenal and liverpool. so, chelsea in all blue getting us under way. southampton the home team, unbeaten in five