When Kirkpatrick was asked if she still considered her vote for Obamacare her proudest vote even as the law crumbles in Arizona, she doubled down on her support and said it was still – yes, still – the highlight of her political career.

[youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RNO-tgfhIA"]

Kirkpatrick’s continued blind support for her party’s liberal Washington agenda comes as the law unravels in Arizona, with 14 of 15 counties facing the reality of having only one health insurance provider thanks to Obamacare’s massive burdens, costs, and regulations.

If there was any doubt that Kirkpatrick refuses to put Arizona first, her unwavering support for a law that has resulted in higher costs and fewer choices for Arizona families is proof positive.

BACKGROUND

Every County In Arizona, Except Pima County, Is Expected To Have Only One ObamaCare Marketplace Insurer In 2017

The Arizona Republic Headline: “Fact Check: Sen. John McCain Correct On Number Of Arizona ‘Obamacare’ Insurers.” (Kelcie Grega, “Fact Check: Sen. John Mccain Correct On Number Of Arizona ‘Obamacare’ Insurers,” The Arizona Republic, 9/22/16)

Every County In Arizona, Except Pima County, Is Expected To Have Only One ObamaCare Marketplace Insurer In 2017. “It appears every Arizona county except Pima County will have just a single health-insurance carrier in the ACA market next year.” (Ken Alltucker, “New ‘Obamacare’ Insurer Comes To Maricopa County As Another Exits,” The Arizona Republic, 9/15/16)

Insurers Leaving The Arizona ObamaCare Marketplace In 2017

Phoenix Health Plans Inc. Announced That It Will Drop Out Of The ObamaCare Marketplace In Maricopa County In 2017, Leaving Residents With One Option

Phoenix Health Plans Inc. Announced That It Will Drop Out Of The ObamaCare Marketplace In Maricopa County In 2017, Meaning Residents May Be Left With Only One ObamaCare Option. “Maricopa County residents may have only one Affordable Care Act option next year after a seventh health insurer announced it will exit the marketplace in Arizona’s largest county. Phoenix Health Plans Inc. will drop out of Maricopa County next year, which means more than 126,000 county residents who chose an ‘Obamacare’ insurance plan will have only one option in 2017: Cigna. Cigna officials confirmed to The Arizona Republic that the insurer expects to offer marketplace plans in 2017 pending regulatory approval, even if the Connecticut-based health insurer is Maricopa County’s sole option.” (Ken Alltucker, “Maricopa County Left With One Affordable Care Act Option,” The Arizona Republic, 9/2/16)

Aetna Is Leaving The Arizona ObamaCare Marketplace In 2017

Aetna Will Stop Selling Individual ObamaCare Plans Next Year In 11 Of The 15 States Where It Had Been Participating In The Marketplace. “Health insurer Aetna Inc. will stop selling individual Obamacare plans next year in 11 of the 15 states where it had been participating in the program, joining other major insurers who’ve pulled out of the government-run markets in the face of mounting losses.” (Zachary Tracer, “Aetna To Quit Most Obamacare Markets, Joining Major Rivals,” Bloomberg, 8/15/16)

  • Aetna Is Leaving The Arizona ObamaCare Marketplace In 2017. “Here’s a full list of the states Aetna is exiting: Arizona; Kentucky; Pennsylvania; Florida; Missouri; South Carolina; Georgia; North Carolina; Texas; Illinois; Ohio.” (Zachary Tracer, “Aetna To Quit Most Obamacare Markets, Joining Major Rivals,” Bloomberg, 8/15/16)

Health Net Is Dropping ObamaCare Plans In Maricopa And Pinal County In 2017, Which Will Force 14,000 Consumers To Switch Plans. “Two major health insurance companies, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Health Net, will drop Affordable Care Act plans next year in Maricopa and Pinal counties, forcing tens of thousands of consumers to switch plans next year. Stung by financial losses on marketplace plans in 2014 and 2015, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has filed documents with the Arizona Department of Insurance to discontinue such plans in Maricopa and Pinal counties. About 44,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield customers will need to find new sources of health coverage for 2017. Similarly, state filings show Health Net will drop Affordable Care Act plans in Maricopa and Pinal counties next year, eliminating coverage for about 14,000 current Health Net customers. It intends to sell only mid-level silver and gold marketplace plans in Pima County next year, according to the insurer’s filings.” (Ken Alltucker, “Blue Cross, Health Net Drop Affordable Care Act Marketplace Plans,” The Arizona Republic, 6/30/16)

Health Choice Insurance Co. Announced That It Would Be Leaving Arizona’s ObamaCare Marketplace In 2017. “Another Arizona health insurance company has told state health-insurance regulators that it will exit the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year, leaving consumers in several counties with one less option. Health Choice Insurance Co. officials confirmed that the insurer will drop marketplace plans in Arizona next year. The insurer sold plans in Maricopa, Pima and a handful of rural counties this year, but it won’t sell any Affordable Care Act plans next year.” (Ken Alltucker, “Arizona Insurer Exits Roil Affordable Care Act Marketplace,” The Arizona Republic, 7/21/16)

Humana Will Exit The Arizona ObamaCare Marketplace For 2017 Due To Losses.“The choices have narrowed this year because UnitedHealthcare and Humana, both citing losses from the Affordable Care Act plans, have exited Arizona’s Obamacare marketplace for 2017.” (Ken Alltucker, “Obamacare Insurers Dwindle As Humana, UnitedHealthcare Exit Arizona,” The Arizona Republic, 5/16/16)

UnitedHealthcare Is Leaving The ObamaCare Marketplace In Arizona, Which Will Reduce Or Eliminate Options For Consumers To Buy Subsidized Plans In More Than Half Of Arizona’s Counties. “The nation’s largest health-care insurer, UnitedHealthcare, will exit the Affordable Care Act marketplace in Arizona next year, a move that will reduce or eliminate options for consumers to buy subsidized plans in more than half of the state’s counties.” (Ken Alltucker, “One Of Arizona’s Largest Health-Care Insurers To Exit Marketplace; Second Could Follow” The Arizona Republic, 4/20/16)

  • UnitedHealthcare Will Stop Selling Individual Plans To Arizonans In 2017. “UnitedHealthcare said Tuesday that it will quit marketplaces in all but a ‘handful of states.’ While the insurer did not specify in which states it will remain, the insurer told the Arizona Department of Insurance in a letter Tuesday that it won’t sell individual plans to Arizonans next year.”(Ken Alltucker, “One Of Arizona’s Largest Health-Care Insurers To Exit Marketplace; Second Could Follow” The Arizona Republic, 4/20/16)

After Centene Entered The Marketplace, Cigna Announced They Will No Longer Sell Individual Plans, But They Will “Be A Medical Provider For Consumers Who Purchase Centene’s Plans In Maricopa County.” “With Centene’s decision to offer marketplace insurance in Arizona next year, Cigna officials said the insurer no longer plans to sell individual plans next year. Instead, Cigna Medical Group will be a medical provider for consumers who purchase Centene’s plans in Maricopa County, Cigna officials said. ‘Cigna announced that it had entered into an agreement with Centene to support its public exchange membership through the Cigna Medical Group in Maricopa County,’ Cigna spokesman Joseph Mondy said in an email. ‘This unique collaboration ensures that quality care will be accessible for the 100,000-plus Maricopa County residents who are expected to participate in the 2017 public marketplace exchange.’” (Ken Alltucker, “New ‘Obamacare’ Insurer Comes To Maricopa County As Another Exits,” The Arizona Republic, 9/15/16)

In September 2016, Blue Cross Blue Shield Announced That They Would Sell ObamaCare Plans In Pinal County In 2017, Meaning Residents Will Now Have At Least One Option. “Nearly 10,000 Pinal County residents now enrolled in an ‘Obamacare’ plan will have at least one option in 2017 after Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona officials confirmed the insurer will offer health plans there next year. Pinal County faced the prospect of no Affordable Care Act plans in 2017 when Aetna last month said it would exit the marketplace in Arizona and 10 other states. The fast-growing county became the only known U.S. county without a marketplace option — as well as a national symbol of the Affordable Care Act’s struggle to retain health-care insurers for the upcoming year.” (Ken Alltucker, “Close Call: How Pinal County Could Have Been The Only Place In The U.S. With No ‘Obamacare’ Choice,” The Arizona Republic, 9/9/16)

  • Aetna’s Exit From The ObamaCare Marketplace Prompted Blue Cross Blue Shield To Reconsider Selling Plans In Pinal County. “Aetna’s exit prompted Blue Cross Blue Shield to reconsider its earlier decision to drop Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage in Pinal County. ‘We fully expected there would be alternative options,’ said Jeff Stelnik, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s senior vice president of strategy, sales and marketing. ‘We were caught a little bit by surprise that Aetna would not enter Pinal County. We re-evaluated Pinal and are working to get final approval’ from the Arizona Department of Insurance and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.” (Ken Alltucker, “Close Call: How Pinal County Could Have Been The Only Place In The U.S. With No ‘Obamacare’ Choice,” The Arizona Republic, 9/9/16)

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Will Still Not Sell Marketplace Plans In Maricopa County. Stelnik said that Blue Cross Blue Shield still does not expect to sell plans directly to Maricopa County consumers next year. The insurer will sell Affordable Care Act plans in 14 of 15 Arizona counties, and it expects to be the only marketplace option in 13 of those counties. ‘Blue Cross is re-entering (Pinal) despite the fact we see significant challenges with the ACA (Affordable Care Act),’ Stelnik said. "We decided to balance those financial challenges against the concern of Pinal County residents not having an option." (Ken Alltucker, “Close Call: How Pinal County Could Have Been The Only Place In The U.S. With No ‘Obamacare’ Choice,” The Arizona Republic, 9/9/16)
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