Obamacare Is Collapsing

‘Ominous Signs For Health Care Customers In States Across The County’

SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TN): Under Obamacare “…exchanges are collapsing, people could be without insurance, premiums will skyrocket if we don’t act…” (Sen. Alexander, Press Release, 5/5/2017)

“Tens of thousands of customers who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces could lose their coverage for 2018. Several insurers have already decided not to offer marketplace coverage next year amid financial risk…” (“Thousands Of Obamacare Customers Left Without Options As Insurers Bolt,” Bloomberg, 4/27/2017)

• “There have been widespread concerns over the last year that the markets could collapse as insurers raised premiums sharply in the face of more costly than expected patients.” (“Amid Obamacare Uncertainty, Insurance Giant Humana Plans To Leave Marketplaces In 2018,” Los Angeles Times, 2/14/2017)

‘Ominous Signs For Health Care Customers In States Across The Country’ As ‘Choices Could Go From One To Zero’
“Parts of the country are in jeopardy of not having an insurer offering Obamacare plans next year. Many counties already have just one insurer offering health plans in the Obamacare marketplaces, and some of those solo insurers are showing signs that they are eyeing the exits.” (“Obamacare Choices Could Go From One to Zero in Some Areas,” The New York Times, 3/31/2017)

• “This is a concern for many areas of the country. [Tennessee Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance Julie] McPeak also currently serves as the president-elect of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and they are keeping an eye on a number of communities. ‘Currently we have five states [Alabama, Alaska, South Carolina, Wyoming and Oklahoma] that have only one insurer statewide on the exchange market,’ she told Fox. ‘Another nine states, including Tennessee, have a majority of their counties that have only one insurer that is writing on the exchange market.’” (“ObamaCare Insurance: Fear Of Failure In Tennessee,” Fox News, 4/13/2017)
• “…the latest step in a sudden collapse of the state’s insurance marketplace that holds ominous signs for health care customers in states across the country.” (“Iowa Obamacare Program On Verge Of Collapse As Congressional Uncertainty Takes Its Toll,” The Washington Post, 5/03/2017)

In 2017 ‘One-Third Of All Counties … Had Just One Insurer’
“In the 2017 open-enrollment period that ended on January 31, many areas of the country had limited options for marketplace plans… One-third of all counties [across 26 states], including all of Alaska, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Alabama and South Carolina had just one insurer.” (“Thousands Of Obamacare Customers Left Without Options As Insurers Bolt,” Bloomberg, 4/27/2017)

• The 26 states with at least one county with only one insurance marketplace option: 1) Alabama, 2) Alaska, 3) Arizona, 4) Colorado, 5) Florida, 6) Georgia, 7) Illinois, 8) Iowa, 9) Kentucky, 10) Michigan, 11) Mississippi, 12) Missouri, 13) Nevada, 14) North Carolina, 15) Ohio, 16) Oklahoma, 17) Pennsylvania, 18) South Carolina, 19) Tennessee, 20) Texas, 21) Utah, 22) Virginia, 23) Washington, 24) West Virginia, 25) Wisconsin, 26) Wyoming
• “According to an analysis by the Associated Press and the health care firm Avalere Health, more than 1,000 counties, where about 2.8 million people are insured through the exchanges, are down to their last insurance carrier, according to the most recent data.” (“What If There's No Affordable Insurance To Buy?,” The Associated Press, 3/06/2017)
• “About 18 percent of people eligible for the Obamacare markets will live in counties with only one insurance carrier offering health plans...” (“See Obamacare Rates For Every County In The Country,” The New York Times’ ‘The Upshot,’ 11/4/2016)

For 2018 ‘Health Insurers In Connecticut Have Asked Permission To Raise Individual Market Premiums Between 15.2 Percent And 33.8 Percent On Average’
“Health insurers in Connecticut have asked permission to raise individual market premiums between 15.2 percent and 33.8 percent on average for 2018, state officials announced today. Only two companies — Anthem and ConnectiCare Benefits — intend to sell plans on the state's Obamacare exchange next year. Anthem, which covers 35,000 people through the Obamacare marketplace, is seeking an average 33.8 percent rate increase. CTCare, which has nearly 51,000 people covered through the exchange, wants an average 15.2 percent boost.” (“Connecticut Insurers Seek Double Digit Rate Hikes,” Politico Pro, 5/8/2017)

2017 Premiums Rose ‘An Average Of 25 Percent’ For Silver Tier Coverage, Middle Class ‘Getting Squeezed’
“Insurers are raising the 2017 premiums for a popular and significant group of health plans sold through HealthCare.gov by an average of 25 percent, more than triple the percentage increase of this year’s plans, according to new government figures. The steep increase in rates serves broadly to confirm what has become evident piecemeal in recent months: Prompted by a burden of unexpectedly sick Affordable Care Act customers, some insurers are dropping out while many remaining companies are struggling to cover their costs. … The 25 percent spike is the average increase, among 38 states that rely on the federal insurance exchange… the policy in each part of the country that has the second-lowest rate among plans offering a ‘silver’ tier of coverage.” (“Average Premiums For Popular ACA Plans Rising 25 Percent,” The Washington Post, 10/24/2016)

“Is Obamacare really affordable? Not for the middle class … [F]or many middle class Americans -- a single person earning more than $47,520 or a family of four with an income of $97,200 -- the pricey premiums and deductibles mean health care coverage remains out of reach. ‘The middle class are getting squeezed,’ said Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. ‘They aren't getting subsidies and these deductibles are hard to afford.’” (“Is Obamacare Really Affordable? Not For The Middle Class,” CNNMoney, 11/4/2016)

• Under Obamacare: “While costs vary widely across states and carriers, the average national prices give some insight into just how steep Obamacare premiums and deductibles can be for the non-subsidized. A 30-year-old will pay an average of $311 a month for the lowest-level bronze plan for 2017, while a 60-year-old will pay an average of $744, according to a review by HealthPocket, which analyzes insurance plans. Both rose 21% from this year. And the average deductible on a bronze plan will top $6,000 next year for an individual and come in at nearly $12,400 for a family.” (“Is Obamacare Really Affordable? Not For The Middle Class,” CNNMoney, 11/4/2016)

FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA: ‘Real Problems,’ ‘There Are Going To Be People Who Are Hurt’
FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: “…there are going to be people who are hurt by premium increases or a lack of competition and choice.” (President Obama, Remarks, Miami, FL, 10/20/16)

·         “President Barack Obama said his signature health-care law has ‘real problems’…” (Bloomberg, 10/3/16)

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON on the consequences of Obamacare: “It’s the craziest thing in the world.” (“Bill Clinton Bashes Obamacare As ‘Crazy System’ While Campaigning For Hillary,” The Washington Times, 10/4/16)

• “‘You’ve got this crazy … the people are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half,’ Mr. Clinton told voters.” (“Bill Clinton Bashes Obamacare As ‘Crazy System’ While Campaigning For Hillary,” The Washington Times, 10/4/16)

NEW YORK BUSINESSWOMAN: “I like and support President Obama… However, Obamacare for me has turned out to be a disaster. As a small businessperson, I feel resentment that I have been forced to participate in a system that costs me more money, yet provides me with significantly less: less choice, less care, less coverage, less convenience.” (“4 Reasons Why Obamacare Is A Brand Failure,” New York Daily News, 11/20/16)

‘A Sizeable Portion Of Rank-And-File Democrats In This Country Do Not Want To Keep The ACA As Is’
(“The Art Of The Deal On Healthcare: Repeal Vs. Repair,” Gallup, 4/11/2017)
GALLUP: “First, 75% of Democrats and Democratic leaners, as well as 86% of Republicans and Republican leaners, said they were dissatisfied with the total cost of healthcare in the country. So, while congressional Democrats in Washington seem committed to protecting Obamacare, rank-and-file Democrats see the need for more cost controls.” (“The Art Of The Deal On Healthcare: Repeal Vs. Repair,” Gallup, 4/11/2017)

• “Second, even with the ACA as the law of the land, 62% of Democrats and Democratic leaners in November said that the healthcare system was either in a state of crisis or had major problems. The Democratic percentage is only a bit lower than the 80% found among Republicans and Republican leaners.” (“The Art Of The Deal On Healthcare: Repeal Vs. Repair,” Gallup, 4/11/2017)
• “…only about one in four (26%) want to keep [Obamacare] largely as it is. Forty percent want to keep the law in place but make significant changes, while 30% want to repeal and replace it.” (Gallup, 4/4/2017)

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