While Senate Democrats continue their partisan fight to preserve Obamacare, the failed law’s impacts are still being felt across the country. As insurers make their plans for 2018, with many dropping out of state markets or drastically raising rates, it has become clearer than ever that Obamacare is unsustainable.
- Aetna announced last month that in 2018, it would pull out of Virginia, Iowa, Delaware, and Nebraska, the last four states in which it offered Obamacare plans.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City reported that it had lost more than $100 million on its Obamacare plans, and would exit the market, potentially leaving 25 Missouri counties with no insurance options.
- Anthem announced earlier this month that it would pull out of Ohio in 2018, leaving residents of 18 counties without an insurer, and last week announced plans to exit the Wisconsin and Indiana markets.
- The same day Anthem announced its Indiana decision, a second major insurer in the state, MDwise, announced its intention to stop selling plans on the Obamacare exchange, leaving a combined 76,000 Hoosiers without health insurance.
- In Iowa, Wellmark and Aetna announced they would stop selling Obamacare plans this spring, and the last remaining statewide insurer, Medica, announced that it would increase premiums by 43.5% for 2018.
- In February, Humana announced that it would pull out of Obamacare markets nationwide.
- In total, an estimated 41% of U.S. counties will have just one insurer offering plans in their marketplace.
“It’s clear that Obamacare is unsustainable, but Senate Democrats continue to fight against all efforts to provide relief to American families,” said NRSC Communications Director Katie Martin. “Rather than continuing their partisan games, Democrats should join Republican efforts to repair the damage that has been done to the U.S. health care system.”