New Report Confirms Health Care Costs Continue to Rise

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Washington, June 18, 2012 | comments
The Kaiser Family Foundation is out with a new report that reinforces the broken promises associated with the Democrats’ health care law.  Despite repeated claims by President Obama and Congressional Democrats that health care costs would decrease, this latest report finds that individuals and employees of small businesses are actually being hit with higher costs – and those costs are expected to climb even higher.

Democrats’ Broken Promise:
“We agree on reforms that will finally reduce the costs of health care.  Families will save on their premiums; businesses that will see their costs rise if we do nothing will save money now and in the future… You talk to every health care economist out there and they will tell you that whatever ideas are -- whatever ideas exist in terms of bending the cost curve and starting to reduce costs for families, businesses, and government, those elements are in this bill." - President Obama, December 15, 2009

Reality:
Insurance agents and brokers are akin to the “canary in the coal mine” and the first to see and hear the effect that the Democrats’ health care law is having on consumers.  A Kaiser report detailing a survey of agents and brokers reveals that:
  • Costs continue to go up, rather than down.  Based on this year's experience so far, 30 percent of agents expect premium increases between 11 percent and 20 percent and, 33 percent of agents expect increases between 6 percent and 10 percent.  This mirrors the increases agents and brokers witnessed in 2011.
  • Choices are also on the decline.  Almost half of all agents and brokers report clients have fewer health plan options than in the past.
  • Fewer, not more, employers are seeking insurance.  Despite repeated claims that the Democrats’ health care law would lead to more people looking for insurance, the survey reports that one-third of agents report fewer small businesses are contacting them to purchase health coverage.
Higher costs, less choices and fewer people seeking insurance.  No wonder almost 70 percent of Americans want the Supreme Court to overturn some or all of this fatally-flawed law.
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