Republicans' Sabotage of ACA Leads to Premium Hike in North Carolina
In fact, if President Trump and House Republicans were not actively working to sabotage the Affordable Care Act by waffling on their responsibility to pay the Cost Sharing Reduction payments, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina's rates would be 2/3 lower.
In Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's words: "Republicans are engaged in a self-fulfilling prophecy."
Here's what others are saying:
AP: NC's Blue Cross seeks 23 percent hike on individual policies
"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina said Thursday that two-thirds of its rate increase is because Congress is not funding promised subsidies that provide consumers with extra financial help for out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and copayments.
Blue Cross's Brian Tajlili said if the Republican-led Congress fully funded the so-called ‘cost sharing reductions,' its rate increase would be the lowest in the five years of the Affordable Care Act at less than 9 percent."
Axios: Blue Cross wants 23% rate hike in NC, blames uncertainty on insurer payments
"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is asking for a 23% rate hike for individual Affordable Care Act plans… The insurer says the uncertainty over whether they'll get their ACA cost-sharing payments ‘drove the majority of the requested increase.' If it weren't for that, it says it would have only asked for an 8.8% rate hike."
The Hill: NC health insurer cites lack of certainty for 23 percent rate increase request
"The company said in a statement that while it felt the increase was too steep, it was necessary due to the assumption that federal cost sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies won't be made next year. The company said it would have filed an average increase of just 8.8 percent for 2018 if it knew the federal funding would continue."
ABC 11: Blue Cross wants 23 percent rate increase for North Carolina Obamacare insurance plans
"Blue Cross said the CSR subsidies help lower-income customers buy plans with lower out-of-pocket costs, and the ACA requires insurers to offer the plans. But, it said the lack of government subsidies spreads the extra cost to all customers. ‘We're seeing the market begin to stabilize after three years of coverage," said Brian Tajlili, director of actuarial and pricing services for Blue Cross NC. "Unfortunately, the lack of CSR funding significantly increases the rates for all ACA customers. We are still required to offer the additional CSR benefits to participate in the Exchange, so covering these costs without CSR funding will drive up our average rate for next year."
Despite Republicans' purposeful muddling, it's clear their objective is to sabotage the ACA and drive up Americans' health costs. Republicans must stop sabotaging the Health Insurance Marketplaces and driving up costs for American families.