Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, argued Saturday that Obamacare has quickly turned into a higher-cost, fewer-choices policy for millions of Americans, and must be repealed.
Ratcliffe delivered that message in the weekly Republican address just days after the Obama administration said premiums for millions of Obamacare users would rise. U.S. officials have said subsidies would cover most of those increases, but Ratcliffe said it still shows that costs are on the rise.
“Twenty-two percent,” he said. “That’s how much more the average mid-level Obamacare plan will cost next year.”
Ratcliffe said if people try to switch their plans, it will mean finding a new doctor. But it might be too difficult to switch plans at this point.
“If you do decide to switch coverage, you’ll have even less to choose from,” he said.
“As you can see, Obamacare is more than just another pile of broken promises,” Ratcliffe added. “It’s the worst of all worlds. It’s higher costs and fewer choices. It’s less freedom and more government. It’s more uncertainty and less peace of mind.”
He said the Republican plan is to repeal Obamacare entirely, and give people more control over the kind of coverage they want.
Healthcare is expected to remain a contentious issue, as Democrats want to expand Obamacare further and create a government-funded healthcare option. But Republicans say repeal is the only answer, and a split federal government next year would likely make it difficult to make progress on either proposal.
