Healthcare Benefits Costs Have Risen In Nebraska Since ObamaCare Became Law
In 2009, Senator Ben Nelson provided Democrats with the 60th and final vote in favor of President Obama’s $2.5 trillion government-run health care bill after cutting a backroom deal – which has often been referred to as the Cornhusker Kickback – with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).
Nearly two years later, it’s now been reported that due to ObamaCare, small business are now paying more money to provide healthcare to their employees. Additionally, some employers will soon drop their employees’ healthcare coverage once the law completely takes effect in 2014, which breaks President Obama’s promise that Nebraskans who like their healthcare plan would be able to keep it.
As the Omaha World-Herald reports:
Employers in a new survey expect health benefit costs to rise 7.1 percent in Nebraska and 4.6 percent in Iowa next year, even though at least half of them plan to trim benefits or switch coverage to control costs. That’s on top of increases this year of 3.7 percent in Nebraska and 7.7 percent in Iowa, according to employers who responded to the survey. … Mark Whiting, [principal with Mercer Health & Benefits] said an earlier Mercer survey indicated that the new federal health care law has added between 2 percent and 5 percent to employers’ health benefit costs so far, such as the expense of extending coverage to dependents up to age 26. … The Mercer survey also asked companies whether they would drop their employee health plans in 2014, when the federal health care law will set up insurance exchanges. Employees who can’t get coverage from their employers will be able to get coverage at the exchanges. Of the employers in the survey, 13 percent in Nebraska and 15 percent in Iowa said they were likely or very likely to drop their health benefits once the insurance exchanges begin operations.” (Steve Jordon, Health benefits to cost more in 2012, Omaha-World Herald, 11/17/11)
Notably, when Nelson cast the deciding vote for government-run healthcare he said the legislation was good for Nebraska and promised it would lower costs and provide better healthcare for the American people.
“When Ben Nelson cut a backroom deal and provided Barack Obama with the 60th and final vote for his job-killing government-run healthcare bill, he promised the legislation would lower costs. But today small business owners in Nebraska are forced to pay more money due to the law,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox. “Unfortunately, this is just another consequence of Ben Nelson’s decision to support Obama’s big government agenda, instead of standing up for Nebraskans.”
BACKGROUND
Flashback To Ben Nelson’s Empty Rhetoric
- Nelson Said He Supported The Market Exchanges In The Health Care Bill Because He Believed “A Competitive Health Care System Will Lower Costs And Provide Better Health Care For The American People.” Nelson: “And that’s why I opposed the public option and yet support the market exchanges. I truly believe that a competitive health care system will lower costs and provide better health care for the American people.” (Senator Ben Nelson, Press Conference, 12/19/09)
- Nelson: “This Legislation Is Good For Our Country And Good For Nebraska.” (Senator Ben Nelson, “Nelson Statement On Health Care Deal,” Press Release, 12/19/09)
- Nelson Said The Health Care Bill Held Down Spending, Helped Small Businesses, Improved Care And Controlled Costs. Nelson: “Today, the Senate approved historic health reform. Let me be clear: it is not a government-run insurance program. It meets the principles I laid out for Nebraskans last summer: that it must hold down spending, help our small businesses, improve care, control costs and, most importantly, work for Nebraska.” (Senator Ben Nelson, “Nelson Statement On Final Senate Health Care Vote,” Press Release, 12/24/09)
