Sen. Susan Collins Confronts Democrats’ Hype on Obamacare

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) summed up the failures of Obamacare and highlighted the distortions of Democrats claiming the GOP’s plan to repeal President Obama’s healthcare law will be dangerous to millions of Americans who have gained perhaps nothing more than an insurance card on the exchanges.

During the Senate HELP committee’s confirmation courtesy hearing for Health and Human Services department nominee Rep. Tom Price, Collins said that while many have expressed concern about what would happen to Americans who are currently in Obamacare’s individual markets, “There has been remarkably little debate on what would happen if Congress took no action with regard to the individual market.”

Collins continued:

In the individual market we’re seeing double-digit increases in premiums, higher deductibles, larger copays, and we’re also seeing far fewer choices as more and more insurers give up and flee the market. The co-ops have failed dramatically – all 23 of them are in financial trouble. Only five are still operating. So, for us to say that everything is going well with Obamacare is just not accurate.

Collins asked Price, “Could you give us your answer as far as what you would see happening to the individual market if we do nothing?”

Price replied:

The American people know this: they appreciate that the individual, small group market where many of the millions…gain their coverage is breaking in many, many ways. We’re in a downward spiral on being able to provide individuals the opportunity – any opportunity at all – so, one-third of the counties in this nation have just one insurance provider. There are five states that have only one insurance provider. The premiums are going up for folks, the deductibles…

Price, an orthopedic specialist, said he receives weekly calls from physicians telling him their patients are making decisions not to receive care they may need because they can’t afford the deductible.

“You may have an insurance card, but you don’t have any care ‘cause you can’t afford the deductible,” Price asserted. “And so people are denying themselves the care that they need, and those are the things we ought to be addressing.”