Republicans pounce on Affordable Care Act premium spike

Fourteen days before the presidential election, an Affordable Care Act bombshell that could be a game changer in this election. There has been a similar slowdown in growth in the amounts employees contribute to health plan costs. Further, those working at Trump hotels, for example, that do not work enough hours to qualify for the coverage the company provides, that 5 percent (the number will be lower as some will be on coverage provided by their spouses’ workplace or medicaire) will get significant help with the rate increases, via the subsidies.

Officials announced Monday that premiums will rise an average of 25 percent.

It has been known for some weeks that Blue Cross/Blue Shield will be the only company offering health insurance policies in Oklahoma next year on the federal exchange, known as healthcare.gov. Premium hikes varied widely across the 39 states using the federal HealthCare.gov exchange. About a fifth of exchange customers will have only one insurer to choose from during open enrollment, leaving them with limited options to shop around.

Consumer choices have slimmed since several major insurers, including UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Aetna Inc., pulled out of Obamacare in most states. That “tremendous volatility” reflects issues some states are having with low participation, said Chris Sloan, senior manager with consultant Avalere Health.

But that’s when voters were asked specifically about health care.

“In 2014 when the exchanges began, high-need enrollees flocked to the program”.

Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement that Democrat Patty Judge, who is seeking to unseat GOP Sen.

Average premiums for the silver plan increased 2 percent in 2015 and were up 7 percent in 2016, the agency said.

Since passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, premiums and deductibles have increased substantially.

Burwell also noted that 85% of people with Obamacare policies are getting government subsidies and tax credits that make the premiums more affordable.

It said a 27-year-old woman earning $25,000 per year would have a $142-per-month health insurance payment for the second-lowest level of coverage after taking tax credits and subsidies available.

“It’s blowing up all over the country”, Trump told reporters Tuesday at his golf resort in Doral, Florida, vowing to repeal and replace Obamacare with something less expensive.

“The same thing happened a year ago when the rates went up”, says Luke Clarke works with Connect For Health Colorado.

Speaking in Florida, Trump disputed the government’s figures, saying insurance costs are rising much higher.

Clinton said fixes can be made to Obamacare “without ripping away the insurance that people now have”, she said.