McCarthy, Calvert, Boustany lead call for change amid ACA premium hike

Following confirmation that Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium increases will jump an average of 25 percent in 2017, U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), and Charles Boustany (R-LA) highlighted the need for change.

Premiums for plans purchased on ACA exchanges will sharply increase in 39 states next year and one in five exchange customers will have only one health insurer to choose from, the U.S. government announced this week.

House Majority Leader McCarthy said reports of higher premiums and fewer options under the health care law have been a frequent occurrence over the years.

“The latest premium increases coming next year for benchmark plans — an average of 25 percent across the 39 states that use the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace — add insult to injury,” McCarthy said. “House Republicans have already outlined a new health care reform initiative, part of the Better Way agenda, to finally deliver the affordable health insurance options the American people were promised,” he added.

Calvert said Obama and Democratic leaders had promised Americans that the law would make healthcare affordable and that consumers could keep their old health plans and doctors if they wanted.

“After just a few short years, Democrats have broken virtually every Obamacare promise they made to hard working American families desperate for quality health care at a reasonable cost,” Calvert said. “There’s no fixing Obamacare – it must be repealed and replaced with a patient-focused system that creates more competition.”

Boustany said in his home state of Louisiana, United Healthcare announced earlier this year that it would leave the health insurance marketplace. That decision will force 13 percent of Louisiana residents to find new coverage in 2017 amid fewer and pricier options.

The Affordable Care Act is no longer sustainable, he said. “Obamacare’s failures have led to more money coming out of the pockets of hard-working Americans. We must replace Obamacare with patient-centered policies that drive market-based, competitive pricing before it’s too late,” Boustany said.