President Barack Obama’s signature health care plan is in a death spiral — and the collapse will cost taxpayers millions.
We’re not sure what is more tragic — the tragic situation that will cause millions of Americans to lose their health insurance, or the predictability of the entire fiasco?
Premiums will spike next year under Obama’s health care law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer, the president’s administration confirmed Monday.
Premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Taxpayer provided subsidies are going to absorb most of the blow.
That’s money out of your pockets, folks.
Moreover, about 1 in 5 consumers will have plans only from a single insurer to pick from, after major national carriers such as UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Aetna scaled back their roles.
“Consumers will be faced this year with not only big premium increases but also with a declining number of insurers participating, and that will lead to a tumultuous open enrollment period,” said Larry Levitt, who tracks the health care law for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
Republicans pounced on the numbers as a warning that insurance markets created by the 2010 health overhaul are teetering toward a “death spiral.” Sign-up season starts Nov. 1, about a week before national elections in which the GOP remains committed to a full repeal.
“It’s over for Obamacare,” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said at a campaign rally Monday evening in Tampa, Florida.
Trump said his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, “wants to double down and make it more expensive and it’s not gonna work. … Our country can’t afford it, you can’t afford it.” He promised his own plan would deliver “great health care at a fraction of the cost.”
The new numbers aren’t too surprising, said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who chairs a committee that oversees the law. It “does little to dispel the notion we are seeing the law implode at the expense of middle-class families.”
HHS essentially confirmed state-by-state reports that have been coming in for months. Window shopping for plans and premiums is already available through HealthCare.gov.
Administration officials are stressing that subsidies provided under the law, which are designed to rise alongside premiums, will insulate most customers from sticker shock. Tax payers will foot the bill instead.
The vast majority of the more than 10 million customers who purchase through HealthCare.gov and its state-run counterparts do receive generous financial assistance. “Enrollment is concentrated among very low-income individuals who receive significant government subsidies to reduce premiums and cost-sharing,” said Caroline Pearson of the consulting firm Avalere Health
But an estimated 5 million to 7 million people are either not eligible for the income-based assistance, or they buy individual policies outside of the health law’s markets, where the subsidies are not available. The administration is urging the latter group to check out HealthCare.gov. The spike in premiums generally does not affect the employer-provided plans that cover most workers and their families.
In some states, the premium increases are striking. In Arizona, unsubsidized premiums for a hypothetical 27-year-old buying a benchmark “second-lowest cost silver plan” will jump by 116 percent, from $196 to $422, according to the administration report.
But HHS said if that hypothetical consumer has a fairly modest income, making $25,000 a year, the subsidies would cover $280 of the new premium, and the consumer would pay $142. Caveat: if the consumer is making $30,000 or $40,000, his or her subsidy would be significantly lower.
Dwindling choice is another issue.
The total number of HealthCare.gov insurers will drop from 232 this year to 167 in 2017, a loss of 28 percent. (Insurers are counted multiple times if they offer coverage in more than one state. So Aetna, for example, would count once in each state that it participated in.)
Switching insurers may not be simple for patients with chronic conditions.
While many carriers are offering a choice of plan designs, most use a single prescription formulary and physician network across all their products, explained Pearson. “So, enrollees may need to change doctors or drugs when they switch insurers,” she said.
Overall, it’s shaping up to be the most difficult sign-up season since HealthCare.gov launched in 2013 and the computer system froze up.
Enrollment has been lower than initially projected, and insurers say patients turned out to be sicker than expected. Moreover, a complex internal system to help stabilize premiums has not worked as hoped for.
Republicans, including Trump, are united in calling for complete repeal, but they have not spelled out how they would address the problems of the uninsured.
The law makes carrying health insurance a legal obligation for most people, and prohibits insurers from turning away the sick. It offers subsidized private plans to people who don’t have coverage through their jobs, along with a state option to expand Medicaid for low-income people.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Quite frankly, people should be in jail for orchestrating the destruction of the United States health care insurance program.
6 1/2 years since Barack Hussein Obama signed this bill. It had to be signed. And yet 6 1/2 years later it still hasn’t completely implemented. Conveniently BHO will be out of office before all of the shoes drop.
This is a direct consequence of an ignorant and apathetic population voting for whoever they think will give them something for nothing and then being sold out by those they elect to office. Almost no one bothered to read the bill. They just went along with Nancy Pelosi when she made that stupid statement “we just have to pass the bill so that we can see what’s in it”. Then they voted the way their party bosses told them to. Here’s a quote from Jonathan Gruber the “architect of Obamacare.
You can’t do it political, you just literally cannot do it. Transparent financing and also transparent spending. I mean, this bill was written in a tortured way to make sure CBO did not score the mandate as taxes. If CBO scored the mandate as taxes the bill dies. Okay? So it’s written to do that,” Gruber said. “In terms of risk rated subsidies, if you had a law which said that healthy people are going to pay in, you made explicit healthy people pay in and sick people get money, it would not have passed. Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really really critical to get for the thing to pass.
An ignorant, apathetic and stupid get the government they deserve. It looks like they are about to do it again and elect Hillary Clinton president despite the fact that they know she is a career criminal but they just don’t like Trump’s personality and lack of polish. This government is beginning to collapse under the weight of it’s own corruption and I would not lift a finger to save it even if I could. I say let it collapse and let those who caused it suffer the consequences as we descend into anarchy. Perhaps after the chaos has run its course those who remain can reconstruct a legitimate government, or we can call an article V convention of states to dismantle this corrupt criminal enterprise we now call a government, enact some permanent reforms via Constitutional amendments, restructure and form a new legitimate government. We the People can do it if we have not become too ignorant and apathetic in which case we will get what we deserve.
Yes, they blew up the original health insurance to give everyone the so-called affordable options. We never heard anymore abut the 6 million that lost their insurance where they could really keep their doctor. This was designed to fail for the implementation of the public option. I can tell you how good this type of insurance is first hand. I have my health insurance through the VA!
My primary doctor is missing in action and is not taking appointments. Instead, I am stuck with doctors that can’t even speak English! I have MS, and have not been able to see that doctor for a year! The nurse decided she got too many messages on her voicemail, and now the phone goes unanswered. She will tell you in person as to how much she cares about her patients!
I understand why 22 vets a day are committing suicide! By the way, there is no direct contact for people in mental crisis. When you call the main number, you are expected to call another number. Once you call that number, the phone either has a voice mail, in which no one calls back, or the phone is not picked up! That is what you get with the public option–Nothing!!!!!!!!!!!
Obuttwipe and co do not care about healthcare of we the people. Just what they spent on advertising alone could have given every man, women and child a 2 million dollar health saving account. This is about power and money plain and simple!
That would be the Democrats despite huge protests on the steps of the Senate and the results of polls across the U.S. showing that Americans were happy with the health care system as it was. All the dems did to deflect was have black dems claim that protestors hurled racial insults at them, which still has not been proved. All it proves is what kind of despicable people dems are. Obamacare has nothing to do with health care–it’s all about government control.
Hillary has said that she wants a single-payer plan like they have in Europe–more government control of the population. Socialized medicine isn’t so great in Europe–why would it work here?
The world’s top 15 healthcare systems are concentrated in Europe and Scandinavia, and are socialised. US healthcare is twice as expensive and rated only 37th by the WHO. Privatised healthcare bleeds money out of care and into company profits. Nobody goes bankrupt or loses their home or goes without healthcare in a socialised system.
Obamacare is intended to replace pre-Muslim invasion Americans with Muslims.
Non-Muslims are required to cover 100% of healthcare costs of all Muslims, forever.
The extremely high birthrate of Muslims guarantees that there will come a day when 100% of non-Muslims’ incomes will go to pay healthcare costs of Muslims. (How many Americans can pay all of their living expenses PLUS the healthcare costs of two Muslims? How about seven Muslims? Ten?) When entire incomes are confiscated for the Muslims, then the assets of the non-Muslims will be seized to be converted into cash for the Muslims (with a nice slice going to government, of course).
Mathematically, there is only one way for Obamacare to end. That’s why Obamacare Architect Gruber said that Americans are stupid.
this obamacare was never a good idea,to expensive and complicated ,i just hope that president trump will desolve it
It is a BRILLIANT idea! …. If it is intended to destroy the country and then hand the real estate to the Muslims.
good jeanette, you said the exact words I was going to say.
No conservative is shocked by this! We knew this was never going to work, yet the dictator in office continued on with his failed agenda. Hopefully the Dems who voted for the dictator will realize their mistake and vote correctly during the upcoming election.
The moment it became public that Muslims are to be given free health care forever, at the expense of non-Muslims, I knew it had been engineered to destroy this country, and give the real estate to the Muslims (since the non-Muslims wouldn’t be around to object.
This fool,, Obama should be jailed for what he and his cronies have done to this beloved country of ours, God please help us!!!!!’
This moron Obama and his cronies, should be in jail, for they’ve done to this beloved country of ours, God help us, please!!!!!!
DUMP TRUMP AND THE [ ONE TRUE GOD ] WILL DUMP YOU!!! In the words of Ron White,” You can’t fix STUPID” RIGHT???
Why should you listen to me??? Because of all the people who have contacted me for help in their cause! The Iluminati asked me to join their ranks! Soros asked me to support his cause! The wife of Bernie Madoff asked me to have his Bank Account unfrozen! Rudy Guliani asked me to support his Campaign! The U.S.Senate passed the mew VA Funding and Benefits Bill and Corrective Bill at my insistance because they didn’t want me to publish my book about Coruption in Government, Titled [ How GOD Found ME ] ! The President sent me a copy of his 911 Speech at 12:05 AM because he didn’t want me to miss it, DUE to emails I sent him previously that caused him to close the WH and Vet Memorials to the Public! Virtually EVERYONE running for public office has contacted me for support??? There is much more but I don’t want to take up a whole page??? If you need more reasons just read what Jesus TAUGHT, or read my BOOK !!! It is only 114 pages and has something for everyone??? TRUMP IS BEST FOR OUR COUNTRY AT THIS TIME! FIXING HILLARY’S BRAIN IS NOT AN OPTION??? NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO REPAIR THE BRAIN OF A HABITUAL [ LIAR ]??? THEY DEVELOP THAT TRAIT AT AN EARLY AGE AND IT REMAINS WITH THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE!!! SHE IS ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THAT TRAIT,RIGHT???MOST PAST PRESIDENTS’ HAIR TURNS GRAY DURING THEIR TIME IN OFFICE DUE TO THEIR CONCERN AND PRESSURE’S OF THE OFFICE! DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT HILLARY CAN HANDLE THAT??? JUST PICTURE HER WITH GRAY HAIR??? NOT IN THIS LIFETIME,RIGHT??? THE MEDIA IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE WATCH DOG TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE’S RIGHTS FROM PEOPLE LIKE HILLARY AND THE CORRUPT DEMOCRATS WHO WILL DO AND SAY ANYTHING TO KEEP THE PEOPLE UNDER THEIR CONTROL LIKE ALL THE OTHER FALSE RELIGIONS??? HOW can anyone believe a habitual LIAR??? She is just using all you women because she knows she NEEDS your vote to win,RIGHT??? SHE studied the COMMUNIST MANIFESTO in college and has planned for the past 30 years to make it her GOAL to establish COMMUNISM in these United States to create disharmony between the men and women using SEXUAL INNUENDO AND any form or comment pertaining to such an encounter to persuade as many women as possible to vote for her!!! That clearly shows just how STUPID she believes you are,RIGHT??? She used the same APPROACH in the last four elections and the REPUBLICANS fell into her TRAP??? THAT IS WHY THEY LOST,RIGHT??? WHY WOULDN’T SHE USE THE SAME TACTIC THAT WORKED BEFORE??? THINK ABOUT THAT!!! IS SHE RIGHT??? MORE IMPORTANTLY, IS SHE RIGHT FOR AMERICA??? I THINK NOT!!! A HABITUAL LIAR FOR PRESIDENT??? HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??? MISERY LOVES COMPANY AND IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY MISERABLE,YOU HAVEN’T SEEN NOTHING YET; IF YOU VOTE FOR HER!!!
William, good post. Vote for Trump and MAGA.
Obamacare may be in a death spiral, but it will not die under a Clinton presidency. The costs will shift to the federal budget and our national debt will continue to grow. Eventually the debt will become so great our financial system will collapse or the dollar’s value will plunge. The politicians who created the mess will be out of office and it will be somebody else’s problem.
The president selected in this election will determine whether our government moves back to financial stability and fiscal competence or whether we keep moving down the road of fiscal foolishness. The end of the road of fiscal foolishness is not something any of us will want. The Bible says the borrower is slave to the lender. At some point we are going to see that is still true.
” My Mother didn’t raise any fools ” and I told everybody I could possibly reach to ” NOT ” vote for Obama !!! Now I’m telling everybody I can possibly reach to ” NOT ” vote for Clinton ( Obama the 2nd ) we have one chance to right the wrong’s that have been laid at our feet, and that are now burring us !! DON’T let this insanity continue, VOTE TRUMP !! If Clinton is elected our country will flow into the rest of the world ( OWO ) and the rest of the world into us. Our country will be gone for ever……… VOTE TRUMP !!!!!!
Hillary is Obama in a dress. Vote Hillary and you get third term Obama. Please don’t vote Hillary. I don’t want to watch the final death throes of America that I grew up in.
AMEN TO THAT
The seniors will also feel the effect from many Physicians , medical groups not accepting medicare as these payments will depend on their accepting medicaid . The govt has reduced payments by 30% in 2016 and has cost many practices thoisands of dollars.
Obamacare is only in a “death spiral” if Obama doesn’t sign an executive order taking 25% (or whatever percentage) of every working American’s paycheck to allow O’care to continue to pay for all healthcare costs of all Muslims in this country (an exploding number), forever.
I never thought I would live long enough to see a Musllim in the White House let alone be re-elected.The destruction of the country is near thank’s to this revelation.Now the biggest crook in history who would ,make Bernie Madof look like an amateur is a heart beat away from completing the job.George Soros is laughing up his sleeve about all this .Trump is the only savior at this. time. You may not love him but he is the only answer at this. time.America is waiting.
I never thought I would live long enough to see a Musllim in the White House let alone be re-elected.The destruction of the country is near thank’s to this revelation.Now the biggest crook in history who would ,make Bernie Madof look like an amateur is a heart beat away from completing the job.George Soros is laughing up his sleeve about all this .Trump is the only savior at this. time. You may not love him but he is the only answer at this. time.America is waiting. I will try again.
OMG Ron, If Trump called Obama a Muslin it would be all over the media. Media is so bias. Did they ever put on the news HC new scandal of an email? No but they will put Trump sex scandals. Does the media want sex predator Bill in WH again? Never put any news of the good Trump does or says. Never hear that bitch Hillary’s name on the news unless she is winning in the polls. Bull shit. I pray Trump wins Nov then they media and Dem can all put their heads up each others butt hole.
Obamas and hitlerys plan to destroy the United States is part of their Marxist socialist agenda. Obama care was designed to wean us away from good health care to their hybrid socialist plan . it was designed to fail so people lefties would eventually accept cradle to grave government controlled healthcare. its called holocaust care . you go to your doctor and come out in a body bag.. with little oversight they can rid themselves of people that disagree with the globalist elite control of everything. there just sucking you in . when they say get in line all the left will do so in a comatose zombiefied orderly fashion. this is how conservatives will eventually win and make America great again.!
TO THOSE WHO DON’T SEE THE BIG PICTURE, HILLARY & OBAMA STRANGLED THE US ECONOMY WITH OBAMACARE!
For a family of 4 you used to have a $500 annual deductible and premiums of $250 a month. NOW because of obamacare you pay $700 per month and have a $5,000 deductible!
You were lied to over and over! Obama lied right to your face! Your local “News” channel lied right to your face!
How do you feel about that as all the providers are closing up shop? Now Bill is finally speaking the OBVIOUS?? What a HYPOCRITE because the DEMOCRATS JAMMED OBAMACARE DOWN OUR THROATS WITHOUT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN VOTE!
Remember, Pelosi (you can’t see what in it till you pass it) and the democrats passed this in a midnight vote, with ZERO Republicans voting for it!
We warned EVERYONE this was EXACTLY what was going to happen but you called us Tea Party Crazy’s.
We told you that the costs didn’t add up and that Obama&Media were LYING when they reported that “the average family was going to save $2,700” and you called us RIGHT-WING!
WE told you that the Media and Obama were lying when he said “if you like your plan then you can keep your plan” and the media went out of it’s way to portray us as lunatics.
We told you this was all a SHAM and you would NEVER be able to “KEEP YOUR DOCTOR” and you called us more names.
Before Obamacare, a poor person walked into the ER at the local hospital and got treated because it was illegal for them to turn him away.
That same poor person STILL never signed up and walks into the ER and gets treated BUT now instead of YOU having a $500 deductible and premiums of $250 a month, you pay $700 per month and have a $5,000 deductible!!
ENJOY, we tried to warn you but the Media & Obama gave this to you!
If the MEDIA had done it’s job instead of sucking up to obama and ignoring the facts, this NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN PASSED, EVEN BY A DEM CONGRESS, THE CRITICISM WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO HIGH. But the Media didn’t do it’s job so ENJOY!!!!
We are laughing our butts off at every single one of you who supported this monstrosity and are crying now!
YOU SHOULD BE FLAMING MAD RIGHT NOW AT YOUR NEWS CHANNELS LIKE CNN, NBC, ABC…ONLY FOX TRIED TO TELL US THE TRUTH AND THAT’S WHEN OBAMA WENT TO “WAR” WITH FOX, REMEMBER…..WE TOLD YOU SO!