Both parties are getting it wrong. And that’s surprising. Don’t these folks ever talk to the voters?
In the House of Representatives, the GOP’s “number-one priority for health care reform” is lowering health insurance premiums. However, 8 in 10 enrollees in the exchanges pay $10 a month or less. For a family with average income, the premium is usually zero.
The White House response is all about protecting people with expensive health care problems. However, the average annual out-of-pocket exposure for a family in 2024 is $18,900 in the federal marketplace exchanges. And if health care problems linger (which is the very definition of “chronic illness”), the family faces that expense every year. To make matters worse, medical centers of excellence around the country (which house specialists that some patients really need) won’t accept Obamacare insurance.
“Wake up Republicans. If you begin by talking about high premiums, you are failing to reach 80% of the voters who buy their own insurance.”
Bingo!
The basis of that truthful advice is the fact that price and cost are not the same things – a fact the national debate over medical cost never manages to clarify.
Yet I think it’s even worse. Voters who buy their own insurance are no more than 10% of the insured population. It’s not just voters who buy individual medical insurance that Republicans are failing to reach – it’s virtually everyone.
Because 80% – 85% of Americans have subsidized medical insurance through private employer or union-sponsored groups, or public plans e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, or Military. (Of course, about 10% remain without medical insurance at some point each year. Yes, Obamacare reduced the numbers of uninsured – but by much less than what was promised.)
The very presence of subsidized insurance induces voters to believe the actual cost of outpatient care is their copay (maybe $25), and the actual cost of inpatient care is likewise not a huge number (the Medicare copay is $1,600 per hospital admission). Those false beliefs makes them mistrust insurance companies who tell them “the cost of health care” is really much higher than they think, and mistrust anyone who tells them “the cost of health care” is a serious national problem.
btw, here is what my Congressman, John Larson D – CT, says in his January 4 email to all of us in East Blue Land.
“Today, four out five Americans who sign up for a health care plan during open enrollment can find coverage for $10/month or less.” His source? Apparently, NPR.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/20/1220621785/for-the-third-year-in-a-row-aca-health-insurance-plans-see-record-signups
btw, my Congressman John Larson, D-CT, says this in his Jan 4 email to all of us here in East Blue Land:
“Today, four out five Americans who sign up for a health care plan during open enrollment can find coverage for $10/month or less”
I think this is relevant to John Goodman’s comment.
Cong. Larson linked to hios apparent source – a Dec 20, 2023 All Things Considered broadcast recording from NPR. I’ll try to post the link but I doubt it will take.