WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding Americans facing sticker shock from the cost of their Obamacare plans.
Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks:
“The Senate minority leader, Senator Reid, came to the floor a couple of days ago, and talked about health care.
“He said if people would just look at the newspaper they would see that Obamacare has changed America for the better.
“Millions of Americans do pick up the newspaper.
“I would like to point out to Senator Reid that there have been headlines in the paper, repeatedly, including one in the Reno Gazette-Journal this month that said: ‘Nevada ranked 48th in health care by finance website.’
“They’re talking about just how bad the health care law has been for the people of his home state in Nevada.
“This was about a new survey that looked at things like health care costs and access to care, and how they impact people at home.
“So if Obamacare was so great, at least as great as Senator Reid says it is, then why is his home state ranked almost dead last?
“Americans are seeing headlines like the one that appeared the day that the senator came to the floor, the front page of the Washington Times, had he picked up the paper and looked at it on the way to the floor, he would have seen a headline on the front page saying: ‘Failures of Obamacare…– Democrats see need for fallback plan.’
“If Obamacare is so great, why do the Democrats need a fallback plan?
“People across the country are seeing headlines like this every day.
“Washington Post headline: ‘Health care exchange sign-ups fall short of forecasts.’
“New York Times: ‘Obamacare Options? In Many Parts of the Country, Only One Insurer Will Remain.’
“Another New York Times: ‘Cost of Health Law’s Plans Set to Rise More Sharply.’
“This in the paper The Hill: ‘Dems to GOP: Help Us Fix Obamacare.’
“Those are the headlines people are seeing all across the country, so I’m not sure exactly what newspaper the minority leader is reading, but he’s not reading the same newspapers Americans all across the country are reading.
Health Care Premium & Costs Are Rising for Most Americans
“All across the country, people are hearing about their rates going up.
“In Georgia, 33 percent. Illinois, 45 percent. Tennessee, 59 percent. People are feeling the pinch from this rising cost of the Obama health care law.
“It’s hurting the people who buy insurance through Obamacare exchanges, and it’s hurting people who get their insurance through their jobs.
“A new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation says that for people who get their insurance at work, the deductibles have risen four times faster than the premiums did.
“And all of those are new costs as a result of the health care law.
“The American people are feeling it in their wallets – and millions of Americans are rejecting Obamacare insurance because they know that it’s not a good value for them personally.
“According to one article, 8 million people faced tax penalties this year for not buying Obamacare coverage.
“These are people who can’t afford this expensive, second-rate insurance, or they don’t think that it’s right for them and their family.
“The Democrats who wrote this law are now asking for help in ‘fixing it’ – they don’t really care, they just want people to write their checks to the IRS, their penalties because of the mandates of the law, the taxes, the fines.
“These are for people who have no options. No options is exactly the situation that most Americans are facing.
Insurance Companies Are Dropping Out of Obamacare
“Major insurance companies have decided to leave most of the Obamacare markets.
“Humana is selling coverage in 19 states this year, and it’s going to be in just 11 states next year. Look at United HealthCare: 34 states this year – down to three next year.
“Aetna will go from selling Obamacare plans in 15 states this year, to just four states next year.
“On November first, millions of Americans will go to sign up for Obamacare and find that their insurance plan has disappeared.
“Companies are running for the exits. The program is collapsing.
“The co-ops, 23 co-ops under the health care law –so far 17 of them have failed, including the one in Senator Reid’s home state of Nevada—went out of business at the end of the last year.
“With all of these companies shutting down and dropping out, people living in one third of the country are going to be left with just one option for where to buy Obamacare coverage in November.
“One option is no choice. It’s not a marketplace, it’s a monopoly.”
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