Trump is hell bent on sabotaging Obamacare. He is determined to get rid of it no matter what it costs the people. His actions are going to make premiums rocket to sky high proportions so that no one can afford healthcare coverage.
Or at least, that’s what the Democrats have been spouting.
But once again, the left’s dire predictions of doom and gloom and the world coming to an end have been proven false. Not only did premiums for Obamacare not increase, in some cases they actually decreased. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s prediction, the average premium would increase by 15% for 2019, of which they laid blame solely at the Republican’s feet. The Office went into further detail, claiming rates would jump by 29% in Arizona and Nebraska, 28% in Wisconsin, and 27% in Pennsylvania.
After Trump decided to provide more access for short-term healthcare coverage, the left went ballistic again, with four cities taking up arms to sue the president for his audacity. Predictions of dire results abounded across the mainstream media. Insurance companies panicked and cried unfair. Scott Serota, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association president, said:
Scott Serota
The move “will significantly increase 2019 premiums for millions of individuals and small-business owners and could result in far fewer health plan choices. It will undermine Americans’ access to affordable coverage, particularly those who need medical care the most.”
So, how did those predictions realistically turn out? ACASignups.net released the predicted rate increases for 2019 and broke them down by state and overall. According to the site, without “sabotage” overall rates will decrease by -3.63%. Yes, that’s a negative sign in that percentage, folks. Meanwhile, with sabotage, it is estimated at only a 5.63% increase; much less than the predicted 15%.
Now let’s go to the states the Congressional Budget Office highlighted and see how they compare to reality:
- Nebraska and Arizona were estimated at a 29% rate hike for 2019. Nebraska will climb only 1% and Arizona? Drum roll please. Arizona is predicted to drop by more than 5%!
- Instead of the 27% hike in Pennsylvania, residents there will see only a 0.7% increase.
- Wisconsin will drop by 3.5% instead of the overly inflated prediction of 28%.
Once again, the left’s exaggerated warnings of calamitous results have been thoroughly denounced and derailed. And not by just a little. Let’s take a look at some of the other states that will see drastic reductions in premiums, both without sabotage (WS) and with sabotage (S):
- Illinois: -12.18% (WS) and 0.72% (S)
- Louisiana: -15.70% (WS) and -6.40% (S)
- Minnesota: -15.40% (WS) and -8% (S)
- Nebraska: -12.60% (WS) and 1% (S)
- New Hampshire: -26.33% (WS) and -13.47 (S)
- Oklahoma: -14.31% (WS) and -1.91% (S)
- Tennessee: -23.12% (WS) and -11.12% (S)
- Utah: -14% (WS) and 0.49% (S)
- Wisconsin: -16.50% (WS) and -3.50% (S)
- Wyoming: -12.65% (WS) and -0.25% (S)
While it’s important to note that some of these rates may vary depending on reinsurance programs, it is clear to see that the left’s manic fear mongering is way off base. There are different theories as to the decline in premiums, including the belief that insurance companies are already capped out in their costs. Some suggest the insurers are doing well in the profit area and do not have a need to raise prices, while others claim rates would have decreased even more if the Trump administration had not offered additional options for short-term coverage, which they say raised premium costs.
In any case, the mainstream media has ignored this tidbit of information that has been one of the Democrats’ main soap box issues for the upcoming elections. As senior vice president for health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation, Larry Levitt, said: “It’s going to be very difficult to turn what’s happening with premiums into a talking point for Democratic candidates.”
Just as Queen’s iconic pop chart hit, “Another One Bites the Dust,” another Democratic false prophesy turns to ash.
