Obama Said This with a Straight Face
by Amy Payne, Heritage Foundation, October 22, 2013
“Thousands of people are signing up and saving money as we speak.”
Yes, President Obama actually said that yesterday about Obamacare. As we all know, for the vast majority of people, the opposite is true.
SIGNING UP? Most people have found it impossible to sign up for coverage through the Healthcare.gov website. In fact, some of the people standing behind the President during his speech—who were supposed to represent “success stories”—have not yet obtained coverage.
SAVING MONEY? Heritage research revealed that in 43 out of 47 states with information available, premiums are higher in the Obamacare marketplaces than in the individual insurance market.
The first problem—website signups—can be fixed. The second—Obamacare’s price—cannot.
Find your state and see how much premiums are going up >>>
Obama touted the fact that young people can stay on their parents’ plans until they are 26. But what about parents whose premiums are going up? Or people who are turning 27 and facing the disproportionately high cost burden that Obamacare puts on young adults?
He touted the law’s Medicaid expansion, which puts more Americans on a broken-down program where one out of three primary care doctors already won’t accept new patients.
He claimed Obamacare would bring “competition” and “more choices.” In reality, the opposite is true. Heritage experts Robert Moffit and Edmund Haislmaier have explained how “Under Obamacare, Americans will have less choice and less competition” (emphasis added).
He claimed Obamacare is “high quality” health insurance. But it’s a one-size-fits-all deal—and that doesn’t work for health care. A high quality system would put patients and their needs first.
Today Obama said, “The Affordable Care Act is not just a website—it’s much more.” Exactly. The Obamacare website might eventually get fixed—but Obamacare won’t.
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