DALLAS – Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) resident scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews issued the following statement regarding Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield pulling out of nearly all of the Affordable Care Act markets in Indiana and Wisconsin for 2018.
“Today, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield announced it will join a long and quickly growing list of health insurers cutting their losses and reaffirming how Democrats and President Obama had no idea how to reform the health insurance system when they imposed the Affordable Care Act on the country.
These decisions to exit the ObamaCare exchanges are based on years of losses from providing ObamaCare-qualified coverage.
The Hill reports: There are an unprecedented 47 counties at risk of having no ObamaCare insurer in 2018.
Obamacare is a political and health care disaster that has disrupted or eliminated good health insurance options that millions of Americans enjoyed. Yet its apologists are still defending its outrageously high deductibles, exploding premiums, “skinny” provider networks, and increasingly limited coverage options. Indeed, while some 1,200 counties will only have one insurer selling through the Obamacare exchange in 2018, defenders are relieved they still have ONE. Apparently, 47 counties won’t even have that many.
Democrats sold Obamacare as a way to expand access to health insurance and lower the costs. Just the opposite is happening. What we are seeing is the collapse of the individual health insurance market—a market that, while not perfect, worked reasonably well for millions of Americans.”
Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) resident scholar Merrill Matthews, Ph.D. is available for interview by contacting Erin Humiston at (972) 874-5139, or erin@IPI.org.