National and local politics have become so polarized and vitriolic that every decision is measured in terms of political winners and losers. Did anyone win when the U.S. House failed to pass the health care bill? Democrats didn’t win. Republicans certainly didn’t win. President Trump didn’t win. Obamacare didn’t win. No American who buys health insurance won.
The facts are irrefutable. There are fewer insurance carriers willing to offer insurance through the Obamacare exchanges in 2017 than there ever have been. According to a Kaiser Foundation study, even more carriers will leave the marketplace later this year. Premiums are going up. The study indicates the average increase on the most popular Silver premium plan will rise 27 percent in 2017. As more carriers exit the exchanges the premiums can only rise.
For those who have health coverage outside of Obamacare, premiums, deductibles, co-pays and maximum out-of-pocket caps have continued to rise. Is it possible that insurance carriers are subsidizing their losses from Obamacare participation with their non-Obamacare policyholders? Count on it. We are all losers with that decision. It will just take a little longer for some to start feeling the pain.
