I realize you all may be tired of the many, many Obamacare blog posts but, hey, I promised I’d keep you apprised of developments! And sadly, there is further evidence that the health care overhaul could cause you to lose your current coverage.
The non-partisan National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) sent a letter to Health and Human Services warning the agency of potential “unintended consequences” (yes, I know you’ve heard that term once or twice before) from Obamacare. More specifically, NAIC cited concerns over “insurance markets where consumer choice is limited and the solvency of insurers is undermined.” The NAIC also wrote that “those who lose coverage may be unable to find or afford other coverage.” We appreciate the House Ways and Means Committee Republican staff for bringing this letter to our attention.
While the NAIC-specific health care provision does not go into effect until next year, thousands of Americans are already starting to lose their insurance. We’ve touched on specific groups already, but here are a few additions, courtesy of the House Ways and Means Republicans:
- National Health, Aetna, and John Alden in New Mexico are no longer offering insurance to people who purchase individual insurance or insurance through a small business;
- Principal Financial Group announced that it will stop selling health insurance, thereby causing 840,000 Americans to lose their coverage;
- Maine’s Superintendent of Insurance has said one-third of Mainers with private insurance could lose their health plans if Maine is not granted a waiver;
- Virginia-based nHealth is closing; and
- Major insurers like Anthem BlueCross and BlueShield, Aetna, Cigna, CoventryOne, Humana and UnitedHealthCare are going to stop selling child-only health plans in several states.
I hope this information helps you stay informed. Make sure your elected officials are aware of Obamacare’s unintended consequences, and hold them accountable at the polls this Tuesday, November 2.