Most government institutions need transparency in order to gain public trust and uphold integrity. However, when it comes to Obamacare and the insurance industry, transparency is pushed aside in favor of secrecy that hurts taxpayers. Such is the case with the 2017 premium increases, where insurers and the government are once again leaving taxpayers and consumers in the dark about how much they will have to pay for health care and causing them to question their trust in these agencies.
Earlier this month, a coalition led by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services pressing for more transparency around the 2017 premium increases. As the November presidential campaign continues, those seeking affordable and accessible healthcare are once again being foiled by insurers and the government. Reports have shown that several average premium increase requests in different states for 2017 are well into the double digits. Some states, like Texas and New York, are asking for sky-rocketing increases of up to 60 and 89 percent respectively. This is not the way to drive down healthcare costs for families.
Since Obamacare was enacted six years ago, it has been nothing short of flawed and wasteful. From failing co-ops to high deductibles, taxpayers have faced back-to-back challenges. Now, large insurance companies that provide healthcare to thousands upon thousands of Americans, such as UnitedHealth, are leaving the exchanges on the premise that the Obamacare insurance markets have become too costly. As a result, they are abandoning taxpayers and patients who eventually will be left uninsured. Costs will go up while choice and competition will flat line.
A recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that plans under Obamacare, including the typically cheaper “silver” plans, are expected to go up an average of 11 percent next year across 14 major cities. While HHS claims that the approved rates won’t mirror what was requested, the premiums will most likely still be too high.
More transparency surrounding these numbers and their final release must become a priority for healthcare leadership. In 2015, final premium increases weren’t released by HHS until late October right before open enrollment began. Should the same pattern happen this year, taxpayers will not have enough time to prepare, research and decide what the best coverage option is. Furthermore, businesses have a right to know if they will be able to provide insurance for their employees, taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going, and as election season nears, voters also have a right to know how their healthcare costs will change in order to make an educated decision.
If the Obamacare exchanges are in a “trial and error” stage, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid acting administrator Andy Slavitt described them last week at the Marketplace Innovation Conference, the errors shouldn’t have to come at the expense of taxpayers. The Obama administration’s promise of holding insurers accountable has failed to come to fruition.
Competition in the healthcare marketplace and affordability of quality coverage is being jeopardized by not revealing final 2017 premium increases sooner. Healthcare leaders need to stop justifying the actions of Obamacare and the insurance industry and remember that keeping Americans healthy and insured is the number one priority. More transparency is the first step.
David Williams is the president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
