This Year, GOP Drops National Attacks On Health Law, Focuses Instead On Key Congressional Races
The Washington Post reports that Republicans are highlighting the withdrawal of several major insurers from health law online marketplaces and premium increases that will likely be announced just days before Election Day, especially in states with competitive Senate races. Also, a new study from the Urban Institute finds that unsubsidized policies in those online marketplaces are still cheaper than the full cost of employer-provided coverage.
The Washington Post:
Republicans Seize On Obamacare Woes To Help Save Congressional Majority
Republicans have found an issue on which they can play a rare bit of offense in their quest to hang on to their Senate and House majorities: Obamacare. Criticism of the landmark health-care law has been a staple of GOP campaigns since its party-line passage in 2010. But unlike six years ago, in the first election after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Republicans aren’t running a national campaign against federal government overreach. Instead, they’re lobbing localized attacks in key states on issues plaguing the state insurance exchanges mandated by the law. (DeBonis and Weigel, 9/19)
The Washington Post:
Skyrocketing Obamacare Premiums Still Lower Than Employer-Sponsored Insurance
People who warn that President Obama's health-care law is in dire straits often point to rising health insurance premiums as proof. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has called premium increases on Affordable Care Act exchanges "astronomically high." Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says premiums have "skyrocketed." But are these growing premiums actually high? A new analysis from the Urban Institute found that the average unsubsidized premiums in the Affordable Care Act exchanges, commonly known as Obamacare, are actually 10 percent lower than the full premiums in the average employer plan nationally in 2016. (Johnson, 9/19)
Morning Consult:
Employer Premiums Higher Than ACA Rates, Report Says
The analysis found that nationally, the average second-lowest silver plan premium on an Obamacare exchange is 10 percent lower than the average employer-sponsored premium. The researchers made adjustments for actuarial value, or the percent of costs covered by the insurer, as well as utilization and age distribution. (Owens, 9/19)
The Baltimore Sun:
Maryland Health Exchange Launches New Mobile App For Enrollment
Maryland health exchange officials have launched a new app specifically designed to help people enroll in health insurance on their phones and tablets. The move is a response to the high rate of people using mobile devices — more than a third — to visit the state's online marketplace for health insurance. (Cohn, 9/19)