“You break it, you own it.” That was Democratic Leader Pelosi’s message last week to Republicans who are working to repeal and replace Obamacare. But for too many Americans, this health care law is already broken. As we now know, Obamacare has failed the American people—but that got us to thinking: Just how broken is President Obama’s so-called Affordable Care Act?
- Obamacare is so broken that premiums are rising by double digits in 31 states. In Arizona, premiums are likely to increase by 116 percent. In Oklahoma, 69 percent. Unfortunately, the list goes on and on, meaning more out of pocket costs for something the government is forcing people to buy.
- Obamacare is so broken that deductibles are skyrocketingnationwide. In Laymen’s terms, a deductible is how much it costs to use your health insurance. On one of the least expensive plans, deductibles are going up by 15 percent. For many families, that means paying thousands of dollars before their insurance even kicks in. Pair that with the aforementioned premium spikes, and you’ll see the unsustainable situation in which many Americans find themselves.
- Obamacare is so broken that many Americans have just one plan to choose from. Health policy experts have said “it’s clear there’s going to be less competition and choice” in 2017, resulting in higher costs and fewer choices for Americans. In fact, one-third of the country “may have just a single insurer to pick from.” Add the 17 failed Obamacare co-ops—to the tune of more than $1.8 billion in taxpayer dollars—and you’ll quickly see why these markets are collapsing under their own weight.
- Obamacare is so broken that Democrats proposed a public option—a government-run program meant to act as a lifeboat for Obamacare. Just months ago, leading Democrats offered this as a way to fix Obamacare’s problems—a sign even the law’s biggest advocates knew it was failing. This idea was supported by all of the Democratic leaders in the Senate, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton. Now, all of a sudden, they want to stay the course with Obamacare as is.
Doubling down on government-run health care isn’t the answer. That’s why House Republicans introduced a better way to do health care. While you can’t break what’s already broken, you can keep a promise you made to the American people—greater access to affordable, quality, patient-centered care. This week, Congress is working on the first steps to do just that.
