Obama Says Obamacare Has ‘Real Problems’ Congress Refuses to Fix

[sinkspur]

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-10-03/obama-says-obamacare-has-real-problems-congress-refuses-to-fix

Obama Says Obamacare Has ‘Real Problems’ Congress Refuses to Fix

  Toluse Olorunnaripa
 
October 3, 2016 — 8:23 AM CDT

President Barack Obama said his signature health-care law has “real problems” that have been exacerbated by congressional gridlock and political polarization.

“They’re eminently fixable problems in terms of strengthening the marketplace, improving the subsidies so more folks can get it, making sure everybody has Medicaid who was qualified under the original legislation, doing more on the cost containment,” Obama said in an interview published Sunday in New York Magazine. “But you hit a point where if Congress just is not willing to make any constructive modifications and it’s all political football, then you’re getting a suboptimal solution.”

The Affordable Care Act is under strain after an exodus of major health-insurance companies from government-run marketplaces called exchanges, as well as large rate hikes in many states. Minnesota’s commerce commissioner, Mike Rothman, said on Friday that he would allow insurers selling individual plans in the state to raise their prices by at least 50 percent next year after the near “collapse” of its market for individual coverage.

Many Republican-run states also still refuse to expand Medicaid, the health program for low-income people, as called for under the law.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has pledged to repeal Obamacare if he wins election in November. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has said she would fix it, and some Republicans in Congress say they’d be willing to work with her to do so.

Last month, Obama met with top executives from more than a dozen health insurers, including Humana Inc. and Cigna Corp., to re-affirm his support for the Affordable Care Act after several companies retreated from the exchanges.

Harken Health Insurance Co., a unit of UnitedHealth Group Inc.,the biggest U.S. health insurer, said last week it would withdraw from the two markets where it was selling plans, in Georgia and Chicago. The company said it would continue to sell individual plans off the exchanges.
‘Challenges’

In a letter last month to health insurance companies, Obama said there had been struggles in implementing the law.

“We know that this progress has not been without challenges. Most new enterprises have growing pains and opportunities for improvement,” Obama wrote in the letter. “The marketplace, while strong, is no exception.”

The Affordable Care Act relies on privately run insurers to sell health plans to individuals through the exchanges, usually with government subsidies to reduce the price. About 11.1 million people were signed up for Obamacare plans at the end of March, according to the U.S.

Enrollment for coverage in 2017 opens Nov. 1, a week before the U.S. presidential election.

[sinkspur]

Obama breaks healthcare, then blames the GOP Congress for not fixing it.

[LMAO]

Obama breaks healthcare, then blames the GOP Congress for not fixing it.

He expects the Republicans to stand in the middle of the train tracks with someone who is bound and determined to kill themselves

 Do you think he'll be proud to  have it be called Obamacare now

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Now that Obama care has been revealed for the failure it is, the time has come to begin pushing to get the government out of health care as the solution. I don't think the Republicans will do that for two reasons. They still think government can fix problems. Second having problems to fix is a great way to gain supporters. For example look at the democrats and the inner cities, the democrats keep setting themselves up as the savior and then making things worse. 

[The_Reader_David]

Obama breaks healthcare, then blames the GOP Congress for not fixing it.

Actually, the executive could fix Obamacare (yes, without violating any more laws or overstepping its Constitutional authority).  Most of what is wrong with it stems from the fact that Kathleen Sebelius used the authority devolved to the SecHHS by the act to define "basic health care" as covering lots more than really would be needed.  Having made the supposedly basic "Bronze" plan cover too much (including the actuarially absurd contraceptive coverage that's only there to poke a sharp stick in the eye of the Latin church -- since it's actuarially absurd to "insure" for a choice, rather than a contingency, it just puts the price of the premium for women up by the cost of
contraception), it became too expensive and paying the penalty instead of buying insurance became a rational choice, hence the death spiral.  The current SecHHS (whose name I forget) could redefine the coverage required to meet the law's mandates and stop the death sprial, but blaming Congress is more useful to advancing the left's pet cause of state control of everything, so no fix will be forthcoming.

[dfwgator]

I hope Chief Judas Roberts is happy.

[dfwgator]

Obama breaks healthcare, then blames the GOP Congress for not fixing it.

He meant to break it, to get Single-Payer.