Bipartisan Opposition to Obamacare Continues to Grow

It has been three years since Washington Democrats forced passage of their health care law on a party-line vote. On March 28, 2010, Senator Schumer – then Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Conference – claimed on Meet the Press, “[A]s people learn about the bill, and now that the bill is enacted, it’s going to become more and more popular.” 

Senator Schumer’s prediction never came true. The law remains unpopular, with one survey showing 55 percent of Americans have a negative view of the law compared to 39 percent who view it favorably. Another survey found 61 percent of Americans think the U.S. health care system will get worse over the next couple of years. Only 24 percent believe it will get better.

This is very bad news for the White House. Even worse, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll revealed that moderate Democrats are steadily and increasingly turning against President Obama’s health care law. According to the Washington Post: “Just after the law was passed in 2010, fully 74 percent of moderate and conservative Democrats supported the federal law making changes to the health-care system. But just 46 percent express support in the new poll, down 11 points in the last year.”

The bipartisan opposition to the President’s health care law is no surprise when you consider the trend in recent news:

• Union Leaders Say Obama Broke His Promise. In a speech last week, President Obama said his health care law is “helping middle-class families.” Clearly his organized labor allies didn’t get the memo. In a letter to Democrat congressional leaders, three major unions, led by James Hoffa of the Teamsters, said: “When you and the President sought our support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you pledged that if we liked the health plans we have now, we could keep them. Sadly, that promise is under threat. Right now, unless you and the Obama Administration enact an equitable fix, the ACA will shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.” The Laborers International Union of North America reminded President Obama that “[a]pproximately 3 million laborers, retirees, and their families now face the very real prospect of losing their health benefits. This, I must remind you, was something that you promised would not happen.”

• HHS Admits President Broke His Promise. In 2009, President Obama pledged: “no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period.” Fast forward four years. Last week, President Obama’s website Healthcare.gov made this far less confident statement: “Depending on the plan you choose in the Marketplace, you may be able to keep your current doctor.”

• States Experiencing Sharp Premium Hikes Know President Broke His Promise. President Obama vowed that his law would “save families $2,500 in the coming years.” Since 2008, the average American family has seen health insurance premium costs rise $3,065. Non-partisan government actuaries estimate that between 2011 and 2021 national health spending will grow at an average rate of 5.7 percent per year. Actuaries also estimate the Democrats’ health care law will add “$478 billion in cumulative health spending.” As national spending on health care increases, American families will see their monthly premiums go up.

The President has advertized projected premium decreases in New York as proof his health care law is working. But as one fact checker put it, “he doesn’t make clear that that kind of premium decrease is likely to be the exception, rather than the rule, among all states.” Because of New York’s existing state health care regulations, its individual market premiums were some of the highest in the country. Actuaries estimate monthly premiums in New York’s individual market will still be 37 percent higher than the national average. People in other states, like Ohio, Maryland, and Indiana, will see their premiums skyrocket.

In a speech yesterday, President Obama criticized people who haven’t bought into his health care sales pitch as “actively working to make this law fail” and spreading a “politically motivated misinformation campaign.” Tell that to the 23 year-old California waitress who said: “Part-time work is a lot better than no work … But it’s not what I expected two years out of college. I can’t believe I voted for this. This is not the change I wanted, and it feels like there’s no hope.” Rather than own up to the law’s failures, President Obama points fingers and looks for a scapegoat.

Health Care Headlines

Associated Press: “Obamacare Outreach Campaign To Cost At Least $648 Million Annually” As President Barack Obama's health care law moves from theory to reality in the coming months, its success may hinge on whether the best minds in advertising can reach one of the hardest-to-find parts of the population: people without health coverage. The campaign won't come cheap: The total amount to be spent nationally on publicity, marketing and advertising will be at least $684 million, according to data compiled by The Associated Press from federal and state sources.

Los Angeles Times: “National healthcare reform sparks concern about scams” The national health reform law is expected to open the door for identity theft and insurance scams when millions of uninsured Americans begin enrolling in coverage this fall, officials and advocates warn. The Federal Trade Commission said dozens of consumers have reported fraud since last summer's Supreme Court ruling upholding the law, and officials predict widespread abuse when enrollment begins in October.

Kaiser Health News: “Consumers In Most States Unlikely To See New York’s 50 Percent Reduction In Premiums In Individual Market” New York’s announcement this week that insurance premiums would drop next year for individuals buying their own coverage in new online marketplaces made good talking points for proponents of the health law, but consumers in most states are unlikely to see similar savings.

New York Times: “Legacy on Line in Fierce Drive on Health Law” Royal blue and emblazoned with the White House seal, the “Official Affordable Care Act Enrollment Countdown” is a paper calendar that keeps track of the time before uninsured Americans can begin signing up for coverage under the president's signature health care law. The message is clear. Few things are more important to the White House this year than a successful health care rollout on Oct. 1 Getting it right - or wrong - will help determine Mr. Obama's place in history.

Times-Picayune, Op-Ed: “Gov. Bobby Jindal: Why I opposed Medicaid expansion” One of the most contested issues in Louisiana’s most recently completed regular legislative session was the debate over Medicaid expansion. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling allowed states to decide for themselves whether to participate in this provision of the Affordable Care Act, i.e., Obamacare. Despite the fact that I was one of the first governors to publicly oppose Medicaid expansion and have consistently argued expansion would be bad for Louisiana's taxpayers, legislators tried to force expansion through stand-alone bills, amendments to unrelated bills, resolutions (that I can't veto), etc. Even though none of these efforts was successful, this is a debate that is not likely going away. Therefore, it is useful to detail the reasons I believe Medicaid expansion would be bad for Louisiana's taxpayers and bad for our health care system.