After his career as a politician, Bayh comfortably settled into the role of an insider with two multi-million dollar homes in D.C. and another in Key Biscayne, Florida. After casting the deciding vote to pass Obamacare and then sticking Hoosier families with the mess, Bayh cashed in and became a lobbyist within days of leaving the Senate.
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BACKGROUND
Evan Bayh Was The Deciding Vote To Pass ObamaCare In The Senate
In December 2009, Bayh Was The Deciding Vote In The Senate To Pass ObamaCare. “Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the bill that would create marketplaces for purchasing health insurance, create a system of national private insurance plans supervised by the Office of Personnel Management, require most individuals to obtain insurance and impose requirements on insurance companies regarding the coverage that they offer.” (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #395: Motion agreed to 60-39: R 0-39; D 58-0; I 2-0, 12/23/09, Bayh Voted Yea)
Thousands Of Hoosiers Have Had Their Health Insurance Cancelled
In 2016, United Healthcare Announced It Was Going To Drop Their Insurance Coverage In The Indiana Marketplace. “UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest insurer, will exit Indiana’s individual insurance marketplace next year. Spokeswoman Maria Gordon Shydlo confirmed Tuesday the company will withdraw its offerings on the exchange, noting the changes will not impact the company’s commercial or Medicare business in the state.” (Giles Bruce, “UnitedHealthcare to exit Indiana exchange,” Northwest Indiana Times, 6/9/16)
In October 2014, 30,000 Hoosiers Had Their Health Insurance Cancelled Because Of ObamaCare. “Approximately 30,000 Hoosiers are will be shopping for new insurance after receiving this notice from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The letter informs individual policyholders that their current health plan does not meet the Affordable Care Act guidelines and that they will have to migrate to a new plan for 2015.” (Anne Marie Tiernon, “Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Notifies 30,000 Indiana Customers Their Policies Are Ending In 2014,” WTHR, 10/31/14)
Bayh Voted For An Obama Administration Rule That Led To Insurance Cancellations
In September 2010, Bayh Voted Against A Resolution To Nullify An Obama Administration Rule Preventing Insurance Companies From Keeping Their Grandfathered Status If They Make Changes To Their Plans. “Enzi, R-Wyo., motion to proceed to consideration of a joint resolution that would provide for congressional disapproval of a rule regarding grandfathering of health insurance plans under the 2010 health care overhaul law.” (S. J. Res. 39, CQ Vote #244: Motion rejected 40-59: R 40-0; D 0-57; I 0-2, 9/29/10, Bayh Voted Nay; Chris Frates, “Senate Democrats Supported Rule That Led To Insurance Cancellations,” CNN, 10/31/13)
The Rule Is Largely Responsible For Preventing Insurance Companies From Keeping Their Grandfathered Status If They Made Changes To Their Plans. “The rule essentially prevents insurance companies from keeping their grandfathered status if they make changes to their plans. In practice, insurance companies are loath to leave their plans unchanged so grandfathered plans are disappearing, and people are being forced to change their plans to meet Obamacare’s more robust coverage requirements.” (Chris Frates, “Senate Democrats Supported Rule That Led To Insurance Cancellations,” CNN, 10/31/13)
ObamaCare Insurance Rates In Indiana Are Increasing By As Much As 41%
Hoosiers Will See A “Steep Increase” In Health Care Premiums In 2017. “Individual health insurance costs are expected to climb across Indiana in 2017 as insurers continue to grapple with rising health care expenses and a market that was only recently overhauled by the federal Affordable Care Act. Many who purchase coverage through insurance exchanges created under the law are eligible for subsidies or tax credits to offset costs. But those who make too much money to qualify for federal help will have to pay the full price of coverage – an amount that could nearly double in some cases. That could spell a steep increase for a group of consumers that can include small-business owners who haven’t set up coverage through work, early retirees, and people who can’t get coverage through a spouse’s employer.” (Brian Slodysko, “Hoosiers Likely To See Insurance Costs Soar,” The Associated Press, 6/4/16)
One The Largest Insurers In Indiana, Anthem, Is Increasing Rates For Its Plans In The ObamaCare Exchange In Indiana By As Much As 41%. “Anthem, one of Indiana’s largest insurers, is seeking premium hikes ranging from nearly 20 percent to 41 percent for coverage it sells on and off the Affordable Care Act’s public insurance exchanges. That would mean an average increase of about 29 percent, under a rate request the state’s Department of Insurance has until Aug. 23 to approve. The company covers less than 100,000 people with individual insurance plans sold both on and off the exchange in Indiana, spokesman Tony Felts said. That’s a small part of the company’s 3.5 million customers statewide, many of whom get insurance through their employer. Felts said Anthem is seeking the premium hikes mainly because of factors not unique to Indiana: people are using more medical services; drug costs, especially for specialty medicines, have climbed; and an ACA reinsurance provision that helped insurers pay for large claims is going away.” (Brian Slodysko, “Hoosiers Likely To See Insurance Costs Soar,” The Associated Press, 6/4/16)