“The top Obamacare exchange insurers in six states where 2016 rate requests have already been filed are seeking to raise rates by an average of 18.6 percent next year.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor about new reports that Americans on Obamacare face substantial increases in their health insurance premiums.
Excerpts of his remarks:
“I would also like to talk about an important issue that’s facing Americans. And they’ll soon need to be seeing—which is next month, the Supreme Court is expected to announce a decision in the case of King versus Burwell.
“This is the case that has been brought on behalf of millions of Americans who have been harmed by the president’s unlawful expansion of his unworkable and unaffordable health care law.
“Sometime before the end of June, the court is going to announce if the law passed by Congress means what it says – or if it means what the president wishes it has said.
“The law – written by Democrats in Congress, written behind closed doors – only authorized insurance subsidies for one group, and the president had the IRS pay subsidies to another group.
“The president gave bureaucrats much more power to control the health care choices and decisions of people who never should have been caught under the law.
“The Supreme Court should strike down this alarming overreach by the president.
“If it does, that will give Congress an opportunity to address some of the devastating problems that the health care law has caused.
“It seems like every week we see another headline about another damaging side effect of the president’s health care law.
“Here is one example, from a story yesterday morning, front page of Investor’s Business Daily: ‘ObamaCare Rates Will Soar In 2016, Early Data Signal.’ Average 18.6% hike proposed.
“It’s an astonishing fact that people are facing—increasing rates, soaring again in 2016.
“Insurance companies that sell plans in the Obamacare exchange are starting to set their rates for next year.
“There’s another article, a series of articles that continue to come out, one says the ‘The top Obamacare exchange insurers in six states where 2016 rate requests have already been filed are seeking to raise rates by an average of 18.6 percent next year.’
“Early reports range from an alarming 36 percent hike sought by the dominant insurer in Tennessee, to a hefty 23 percent average increase requested by Oregon insurers.’
“People across the country saw these rates go up at the beginning of this year – now they’re facing it again, they’re starting to learn it wasn’t just a one year deal.
“There’s another story that came out May 7 in The Connecticut Mirror.
“This article states: ‘Insurance companies selling health plans through the state’s health insurance exchange are seeking to raise rates next year, with an average increase between two percent and nearly 14 percent.’
“It’s outrageous.
“Now, I know that the Senator from Connecticut has come to the floor saying that we should be celebrating Obamacare.
“Well, with these rate increases for families in Connecticut, it looks to me like the party is over.
“Obamacare was supposed to bring costs down. That’s what the president promised.
“He said that premiums would go down by an average of $2,500 per year, per family. It hasn’t happened.
“For an average family that gets coverage through their work, the premiums have gone up by about $3,500 since the president took office in 2009.
“Why do we still see headlines about premiums going up by 14 percent, or even two percent? Why are they going up at all?
“Why are the promises that Democrats made about the health care law not coming true?
“Why are Obamacare rates set to ‘soar’ again in 2016?
“Why are people in places like Connecticut still seeing headlines about their costs going up by 14 percent?
“A few weeks ago, the Democratic leader said on the floor that Obamacare ‘is a smashing success.’ Stood right over there and said it.
“Is there a Democrat who thinks that a 14 percent rate increase for families in Connecticut is a smashing success? Or a 18.6% average across the country a smashing success?
“We’re going to see this same story about soaring insurance rates repeated all across America. It’s not just the Obamacare premiums that are causing problems for families.
“Here’s a headline from the Washington Post last Friday: ‘Insured, but still not able to afford care.’
“For one in four who bought health coverage, some costs remained too high.’ So they have insurance, but they’re still not able to get care.
“People who have insurance have been avoiding going to see the doctor.
“That’s according to a new study by the liberal advocacy group called Families USA.
“This was an advocacy group that was a huge supporter of the president’s health care law and a huge supporter of the president– and even this group has to admit that coverage does not equal care. There is a difference.
“The group’s executive director is quoted in this article in the Washington Post saying, ‘The key culprit as to why people have been unable to afford medical care despite coverage, is high deductibles.’
“Well, I agree, many people’s deductibles are too high.
“And the reason the deductibles have gotten so high and so out of hand all of a sudden is because the health care law included so many coverage mandates.
“Democrats who voted for this said they know better than the people at home what kind of insurance they need. That’s what the president said—the president said I know better than you do. I know what your family needs, you do not. That’s why the deductibles are so high.
“Insurers had to raise their premiums to cover the cost of all these new Washington mandates –they had to raise deductibles as well.
“This year, the average deductible for an Obamacare silver plan is almost $3,000 for a single person – more than $6,000 for a family.
“People have Washington-mandated coverage, but they still can’t afford to get care.
“So people are putting off going to the doctor, they’re skipping tests, they’re skipping follow-up care – because of the high deductibles and co-pays.
“Why are people across the country having to put off getting medical care? Well it’s because they can’t afford it.
“Is that what Democrats mean when they say the law has been a smashing success? When the minority leader comes to the floor and said it’s a smashing success.
“All across the country, Americans are struggling under the costs of health care, under this health care law.
“Study out this morning in the paper The Hill, Sarah Ferris writes: ‘Underinsured population has doubled in the United States to $31 million.’ One quarter of people, it says, with health care coverage are paying so much for deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses that they are considered underinsured. 31 million Americans—rising deductibles even under Obamacare it says are the biggest problem for most people who are considered underinsured.
“People are paying more as a result of the Democrats’ health care law – and they’re going to be paying even more next year, and the year after that, until we’re able to do something to stop it.
“Republicans are offering real solutions that will end these destructive and expensive Obamacare side effects.
“That means giving Americans – and giving states – the freedom, the choice, and the control over their health care decisions once again.
“Republicans understand that coverage does not equal care.
“Republicans understand what American families were asking for before this health care law was ever passed – and that’s what they’re still asking for today.
“It’s time for Democrats to admit that their health care law did not work—it did not work out like they promised, and to start working with Republicans on reforms that will give people the care they need, from a doctor they choose, at lower costs.”
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