The Health Law is Not “Working the Way it Should”
The Health Law is Not "Working the Way it Should"
Obama Hears from Latinos About High Costs, Unfair Mandates
(Washington, D.C.) – Today the President participated in a townhall event to address concerns that the Latino community has with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. He responded to questions about the high cost of plans, the unfairness of the mandate to buy insurance, and the concerns that personal information may be used to enforce immigration laws. In his responses, he continued to encourage Latinos to enroll for coverage – and said that families who can't afford a health insurance premium of more than $300 per month might not be placing a proper priority on health care.
Contrary to the President's assurance, the law is not working "the way it should." Uninsured Americans are not enrolling in significant numbers. The White House has delayed parts of the law 13 times. A new report from eHealth Insurance – which carries plans by 200 insurance carriers – finds that the average premium for an individual health plan has climbed by nearly 40 percent since before the law was implemented. Just this week the Administration requested $5.5 billion for insurer bailouts under the law.
Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:
"We all appreciate any legitimate efforts to address the real day-to-day concerns that so many Americans have about their well-being. But, the responses we heard today from the President were extremely disappointing. Rather than take to heart worries about high premiums and unfair mandates, his focus was on justifying a law that does not work for most families and workers. The White House is desperately trying to sell a product that few Americans want to buy. With each passing day, more and more people are saying that the law is hurting them – not helping. It's time to acknowledge that and go back to the drawing board to offer a better alternative.
When he was asked today how to fix the law, the President immediately changed the subject. The problem is that you cannot fix a system so heavily weighed down by mandates, bureaucrats and price controls. It's time for a new approach."
For interviews with a LIBRE representative, please contact: Brian Faughnan, 571-257-3309 or Steven Cruz, 202-578-6173.