Posted on 09/27/2011 9:31:07 AM PDT by Libloather
White House plays defense after report finds healthcare premiums on the rise
By Julian Pecquet - 09/27/11 11:33 AM ET
The Obama administration quickly responded Tuesday to bad news about rising insurance premiums with a strong defense of the healthcare law and its benefits for consumers.
An annual survey of premiums found that the premiums for employer-provided family plans increased by 9 percent — to $15,073 — in 2011, leaving Democrats vulnerable to charges that the law isn't working. The administration proactively responded with a post on the White House blog that went up as soon as the embargo on the annual Kaiser Family Foundation survey was lifted.
"The Kaiser report is informative," writes deputy chief of staff Nancy-Ann DeParle, "but it's a look backwards. When we look to the future, we know that the Affordable Care Act will help make insurance more affordable for families and businesses across the country."
The post goes on to point out that the average premium for the 8 million people enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program will increase by 3.8 percent in 2012 — a little more than half of the 7.3 percent increase in premiums for 2011. DeParle argues that those rates offer "important insight into the premiums large employers are negotiating with insurers for the coming year."
And last week, the consulting firm Mercer estimated that employers' health insurance costs were expected to increase an average 5.4 percent next year, the slowest growth rate since 1997.
DeParle also makes the point that new rules under the healthcare law now require insurance plans to justify rate increases of 10 percent or more and spend at least 80 percent of premiums on care.
The foundation's president and CEO, Drew Altman, said the premium hike had little to do with the health law — the law is only responsible for about 1.5 percentage points of the increase, Kaiser says, because of its requirement that plans cover young adults on family policies and offer preventive health benefits without co-pays.
"Critics of the national health reform law passed in 2010 like to blame everything but the weather on 'Obamacare,' " he wrote, "but regardless of how you feel about the Affordable Care Act, its effect on premiums this year is modest."
The Kaiser survey also highlighted that employers added 2.3 million young adults to their parents' family health insurance policies as a result of the reform law.
"The law is helping millions of young adults to obtain health coverage," the study's lead author, Gary Claxton, said in a statement. "In the past, many of these young adults would have lost coverage when they left home or graduated college."
Three hots and a cot if you can't pay.
OR if you need health care - vote Democrat or die.
Dear Leader never lies. Therefore, the study was obviously done by racists white supremacists
“The Kaiser report is informative,” writes deputy chief of staff Nancy-Ann DeParle, “but it’s a look backwards. When we look to the future, we know that the Affordable Care Act will help make insurance more affordable for families and businesses across the country.”
Are you going to believe us or your own lyin’ eyes?
A 9% premium increase today will be chump change compared to 2014 and beyond premium increases when Obamacare takes full effect and premium payers will bear the full brunt of subsidizing 17 million new insureds through their increased premiums.
As Al Jolson used to say-——
” You aint seen nothin yet”
The new Social Security plan designed by Obamacare:
/ Turn 65 and you’re on your own. /
Well even if it's only 1.5%, it's contrary to Obama’s claim that it would “lower” premiums.
Someone in the MSM needs to call him out on that.
Bump
“Critics of the national health reform law passed in 2010 like to blame everything but the weather on ‘Obamacare,’ “ he wrote, “but regardless of how you feel about the Affordable Care Act, its effect on premiums this year is modest.”
Ummmm because we were scalded in 2009 and 2010???? Like double digits both years???? Not to mention out of pockets being in my case at least over doubled!
So now this jerk is saying its “modest”? Cut me a break........
“An annual survey of premiums found that the premiums for employer-provided family plans increased by 9 percent — to $15,073 — in 2011”
This is why employers will pay the $2,000 fine as compared to paying $15,073 for benefits.
We know that because it's got the word "affordable" in the name!
ANYONE WHO BELIEVES ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THIS ADMINISTRATION IS A MORON.
No, it doesn't benefit a 21 year old out on his own in a distant state working at one of the few jobs available paying for his health insurance if his father's employer 2,000 miles away is also covering him.
The Democrats didn't make any of this stuff GEOGRAPHICALLY UNIVERSAL so only a few ~ a handful ~ of additional 20 somethings got insurance through a parent's policy.
ObamaKKKare just isn't well thought out at all. Now the punishments they want to inflict on folks who miss a payment, or who submit the wrong form ~ they got those down to a T. $250,000 fines ~ armed IRS agents hounding you ~ good grief ~ just what goes on when these Democrat pukes dream ~ bunch of diseased, blood-thisty dope addicts ~ that's what I think.
My daughter’s health insurance tripled last month. She is 24. Some employees where she works were actually crying when they got their paychecks with the new increase. Some have gotten part-time jobs to pay for insurance. How is Obamacare helping people?
My company’s rose 47% this year. Fortunately, we were able to negotiate a better rate elsewhere. At least for now.
He will lower ins cost after he lowers the sea levels.
Bump
Unexpected?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.