As Obamacare Open Enrollment Begins, Higher Costs Escalate
The sign-up period for Obamacare begins Wednesday.
Many people already faced fewer choices and higher premiums before President Trump took office as rising costs forced many insurers to drop out of certain states.
But critics say changes by the Trump administration are also making it more difficult to join.
This year, the window to join is only half as long as previous sign-up periods and there are fewer numbers of counselors to walk people through the process.
The president has also canceled a subsidy to insurers. Opponents are warning of higher premiums, even though they had already been rising under Obamacare.
There was already a big drop-off this year among consumers who buy individual coverage outside the government markets and aren't eligible for premium subsidies. Many simply couldn't afford the higher costs that were tied to rising Obamacare rates.
A recent analysis found premiums for popular silver plans rising an average of 34 percent nationwide next year. Monthly premiums can be as a high as a mortgage payment in some cases.
Some families have already gotten the bad news and are posting about it online:
"Just got our health insurance renewal information for 2018. Premiums jump to $1833 per month, and coverage gets worse...We have an $8,000 deductible," one mother wrote. "Our premiums have doubled since the ACA took effect... What's affordable about this?"
"I’m paying 1600 a month for a 2200 deductible per person," one father wrote. "Kids don’t have Ins. We can’t afford it."
Most of the 9-to-10 million people who are insured through Obamacare's government-sponsored markets receive subsidized premiums, so they've been cushioned from rate increases. Federal help paying premiums is still available.
Meanwhile, a dozen states operate their own health insurance marketplaces, maintaining control over the help they can offer consumers. Those states can make their own decisions about spending because their budgets are free from Washington politics.
Trump promised to repeal and replace Obamacare when he ran for president. But so far, the Republican Congress has not been able to pass a plan.
