As the temperatures hit record highs over the last several weeks, President Obama’s failing health care law fell to new lows — compromising access to affordable, quality health insurance for millions of Americans. For those catching up on the summer headlines, here’s a quick recap of the ongoing Obamacare meltdown:
Major health insurers fled the exchanges, leaving many residents with only one “choice” of insurance provider.
“[Aetna’s] move comes on the heels of pullbacks from other major insurers, including UnitedHealthcare and Humana. The insurers have raised concerns about the sustainability of the ObamaCare marketplaces.” — Aetna pulling back from ObamaCare in blow to health law, The Hill, August 15, 2016
“[Aetna] cannot provide affordable, high-quality plans through the exchanges without a larger number of healthy people to help offset the costs of coverage for less healthy consumers.” — Aetna to Pull Back From Public Health Care Exchanges, New York Times, August 16, 2016
“Seven entire states are projected to have just one carrier in 2017.” — One-third of US won’t have a choice between Obamacare plans in 2017, CNBC.com, August 19, 2016
“Nearly 1 in 5 potential Obamacare customers may have just one insurer selling plans in their communities … But in Pinal County, a rural community within the Phoenix metropolitan area, many may lose health care coverage altogether.” — The county Obamacare forgot, Politico, August 22, 2016
“The ongoing and nationwide exodus of insurers is just the latest piece of evidence that Obamacare is a failed law built on false promises.” — Aetna Has Revealed Obamacare’s Many Broken Promises, TIME, August 25, 2016
“Next year, nearly a third of all counties may have only one insurer participating on the Affordable Care Act exchanges.” — Health Insurers’ Pullback Threatens to Create Monopolies, Wall Street Journal, August 28, 2016
“Up to 2.1 million people will likely have to change plans for 2017 due to insurers leaving states’ Affordable Care Act marketplaces.” — As Obamacare choices dwindle, feds face consumer, political backlash, USA Today, August 29, 2016
“31 percent of counties will have just a single insurance option within the Affordable Care Act exchanges … Further, about six in 10 counties could have two or fewer marketplace insurers in 2017.” — ObamaCare coverage options disappearing across country, report finds, Foxnews.com, August 29, 2016
Health care premiums continued to rise, with proposed average rates hikes of 18 and 23 percent next year.
“Many insurers this year are proposing substantial rate hikes … Blue Cross Blue Shield has proposed increases of 40 percent in Alabama and 60 percent in Texas.” — Next president faces possible ObamaCare meltdown, The Hill, August 11, 2016
“Premiums are high and soaring; insurers have booked multimillion-dollar losses and are terminating plans; and the customer pool is smaller, older and less healthy than the official projections. The natural result is another round of rate shock for 2017.” — ObamaCare Sicker Shock, Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2016
“Competition has dramatically declined in some states as a result of pullbacks by national insurers and failed co-op plans. Decline in competition means fewer choices and, often, higher prices for consumers.” — The county Obamacare forgot, Politico, August 22, 2016
“The first handful of states have released approved 2017 rates for people who buy health insurance on their own and the results so far are consistent with what many expected: There are significant increases in premiums for next year.” — States Start to Approve Steep Increases in Health Premiums, Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2016
“The average consumer is likely to have far fewer plan choices in the upcoming year, which is expected to lead to a substantial rise in average premiums.” — Approved Obamacare Rate Hikes in 7 States Point Toward a 10%+ Premium Increase in 2017, Foxnews.com, August 27, 2016
“The exchanges have created perverse insurance products that feature the worst of all worlds: They have high premiums, and high deductibles and co-pays, and limited networks of doctors.” — Why the Affordable Care Act is anything but affordable, New York Post, August 29, 2016
Only 7 of Obamacare’s 23 “public option” co-ops remain, kicking hundreds of thousands of Americans off of their current insurance.
“Only a third of Obamacare co-ops are still in operation after two more co-ops announced they were closing their doors in the past week.” — Most Obamacare Co-Ops Have Now Failed, Washington Free Beacon, July 12, 2016
“New failures are piling up among the member-run health insurance co-ops carrying out one of the Affordable Care Act’s most idealistic goals, leaving just seven remaining when the health law’s fourth enrollment season starts in the fall. There were 23 in 2014.”— Seven Remaining Obamacare Co-Ops Prepare Survival Strategies, Kaiser Health News, July 13, 2016
“July has been rough for Obamacare’s non-profit co-op health plans. Four closed after running out of money — three in just one week.” — Obamacare’s Co-Op Disaster: Only 7 Remain, Forbes, July 25, 2016
“A new wave of failures among ObamaCare’s nonprofit health insurers is disrupting coverage for thousands of enrollees.” — Frustration mounts over ObamaCare co-op failures, The Hill, August 1, 2015
“The insurance co-ops created by the law have mostly gone belly-up.” — Obamacare Marketplaces Are in Trouble. What Can Be Done?, New York Times, August 29, 2016
The facts speak for themselves. Obamacare can’t take the heat.
House Republicans refuse to standby and watch the meltdown. That’s why we are working toward a better way. Our policy proposals will encourage insurers to provide high quality, affordable options so that all Americans can choose an insurance plan that is right for them.