12.03.15

Sullivan on Obamacare: “No state has been hurt more by the law than Alaska”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) spoke on the Senate floor today, calling on his colleagues to pass the Restoring Americans' Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act, which would repeal the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare. If it passes, it will be the first time a bill to repeal will end up on the president’s desk.

During his remarks (available here, with excerpts below), Senator Sullivan talked about how the act was hurting the country, but no place more than in Alaska.

“Hardly a day passes—when I’m in D.C. or back home—that I don’t hear or read about Alaskans who have been harmed by Obamacare.”

“I recently heard from an Alaskan who pays $1,200 a month in premiums with a $10,000 deductible. I heard from another couple who will be paying $3,131 a month, almost $38,000 a year.”

“Here’s an excerpt from a constituent letter: ‘The renewal paperwork that I just received estimated our new payment to be just over $1,000/month - doubling our monthly expense… What is a young family to do?”

“Another: ‘Insurance rates are killing my small business…We have tried to keep our employees and their families covered but don’t see how we can continue to.’”

“No state has been hurt more by the law than Alaska. Five insurance companies originally offered individual coverage in the exchange, offering a glimmer of hope that competition might drive down costs. Today, only two are left.  Both will be increasing premiums by about 40 percent this year alone. In Anchorage, the lowest level plan—a bronze plan—is going up 46 percent in just one year, which makes it among the most expensive in the country.

“In Anchorage, a nonsmoking 40-year-old who doesn’t receive subsidies will be forced to pay anywhere from $579 to $678 a month for a bronze plan with a deductible of either $5,250 for the more expensive premium, and $6,850 for the less expensive premium.”

“This was not the ‘affordable’ health care that was promised. And we can't let it get worse. That's why I am joining with my colleagues to repeal this law and replace it with one that includes tort reform, preserves a strong safety-net for people with pre-existing conditions, works toward a system where insurance can be bought across state lines, encourages patient-centered care, and allows the kind of doctor-patient relationship that has so distinguished American medical care.”

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