Senate Democrats Vow to Block Health Care Reform

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- The National Republican Senatorial Committee issued the following news release:

As Obamacare continues to put affordable health care out of the reach of millions of Americans, Senate Democrats are making clear their intent to block all efforts at repealing the failed law and implementing real healthcare reform.

* Premiums for insurance plans on Obamacare exchanges are increasing by an average of 25% in 2017, while 1 in 5 consumers will have a single insurer available to them.

* More than 1.4 million Americans are losing their health insurance plan this year as insurers flee the Obamacare marketplace.

* Even Democrats have begun to acknowledge that Obamacare is failing.

* Former President Bill Clinton called Obamacare "the craziest thing in the world," noting that families were seeing "their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half."

* Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton commented that Obamacare is "no longer affordable to increasing numbers of people."

But Senate Democrats have vowed to do everything in their power to both keep Obamacare in place and block all Republican attempts at health care reform.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Playbook this morning that Senate Democrats would not even be willing to discuss a bipartisan health care reform plan.

NRSC Comment: "As families watch their health care premiums skyrocket and their choices dwindle, Senate Democrats have vowed to do everything in their power to keep Obamacare in place. Americans deserve real reform that makes health care more affordable, but Senate Democrats have made clear their only interest is preserving President Obama's failed law." - NRSC Communications Director Katie Martin

Background:

Obama administration confirms double-digit premium hikes. "Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Some states will see much bigger jumps, others less. Moreover, about 1 in 5 consumers will only have plans from a single insurer to pick from, after major national carriers such as UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Aetna scaled back their roles." (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press, 10/14/16)

More Than 1 Million to Lose Obamacare Plans as Insurers Quit. "A growing number of people in Obamacare are finding out their health insurance plans will disappear from the program next year, forcing them to find new coverage even as options shrink and prices rise. At least 1.4 million people in 32 states will lose the Obamacare plan they have now, according to state officials contacted by Bloomberg. That's largely caused by Aetna Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and some state or regional insurers quitting the law's markets for individual coverage." (Zachary Tracer, Tatiana Darie and Katherine Doherty, Bloomberg, 10/14/16)

Bill Clinton calls Obamacare 'the craziest thing in the world,' later tries to walk it back. "Speaking at a Democratic rally in Flint, Michigan, the former president ripped into the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for flooding the health care insurance market and causing premiums to rise for middle-class Americans who do not qualify for subsidies. 'So you've got this crazy system where all of a sudden 25 million more people have health care and then the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half. It's the craziest thing in the world,' Clinton said." (Naomi Lim, CNN, 10/5/16)

Democratic governor: Obamacare 'no longer affordable' for many. "Minnesota's Democratic governor on Wednesday said Obamacare is "no longer affordable to increasing numbers of people" -- the latest sign of Democrats' growing concern about the law's rising insurance costs. Gov. Mark Dayton's criticism comes as his state faces massive rate hikes and shrinking competition in its Obamacare insurance marketplace next year. Dayton's comments also come almost a week after Donald Trump and Republicans seized on former president Bill Clinton's remarks lamenting Obamacare's affordability problems." (Rachana Pradhan, Politico, 10/12/16)

Schumer speaks in Playbook Interview. "But we're not going to sit down in a room with them once they repeal and say let's figure out a joint plan." (Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman, Politico Playbook, 1/4/17)

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