The American public was sold a bill of goods under the the guise of “affordable,” but the Affordable Care Act is anything but, especially for low-income families.
The Hill is reporting that Obamacare has essentially split into two “Obamacares”: “There’s the one in coastal and northern areas, where the marketplaces include multiple insurers and plans. And there’s the one in southern and rural areas, where there is often little competition, a situation that can lead to higher premiums.”
As more insurers, like Aetna and UnitedHealthcare, exit the marketplace, premiums that were promised to remain low will continue to skyrocket. And in some rural counties, there won’t be insurance choices at all -- another broken promise of the Obama administration.
The Hill describes how this exact scenario is playing out in Arizona:
Aetna had been the only insurer offering a plan in Pinal County. Unless federal and state officials can find another insurer to fill the void in 2017, the county’s 400,000 residents will not be able to buy coverage on an ObamaCare exchange.
This is happening in Oklahoma, too. That state’s deputy insurance commissioner, Mike Rhoads, warns that prices in rural areas are going to rise because there is only one choice available. But if that’s the case, the poorest will essentially have no option for insurance even with subsidies.
“With only a single carrier out there, there is no competition.,” he said. “I think competition drives price sensitivity by these carriers.”
“We see no other carriers willing to come in,” Rhoads added. “We certainly have had conversations with some of the national players.”
However, Rhoads was told by several insurers they would not be returning to the exchange since they lost so much money the first time around.
But remember how easy Obama said getting insurance was going to be?
“Just visit healthcare.gov, and there you can compare insurance plans, side by side, the same way you’d shop for a plane ticket on Kayak or a TV on Amazon. You enter some basic information, you’ll be presented with a list of quality, affordable plans that are available in your area, with clear descriptions of what each plan covers, and what it will cost. You’ll find more choices, more competition, and in many cases, lower prices.”
Oops!
