88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Clinton promises to 'tackle' rising ObamaCare premiums
460
Getty
By Peter Sullivan - 10/25/16 06:23 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton responded to news of ObamaCare premium hikes on Tuesday by saying she is going to “tackle” the problem of high costs, while defending the health law overall.
“We’re going to really tackle that, we’re going to get co-pays and premiums and deductibles down, we’re going to tackle prescription drug costs,” Clinton told the radio station Hot 105.
Republicans have jumped on the Obama administration’s announcement on Monday that premiums for the benchmark ObamaCare plan will increase by an average of 25 percent for 2017.
“We’re going to make changes to fix problems like that,” Clinton said. “The president and I have talked about it, and you know look, this is a major step forward, 20 million people and actually I’m sure you know this, predominantly working people, African-American, Latino people, now have access to insurance but the costs have gone up too much.”
Clinton is defending the law, pointing to the fact that 20 million people have gained coverage because of it, while also calling for fixes, and pointing out that Donald Trump would repeal the law’s coverage gains.
“We can do that without ripping away the insurance that people now have,” she said.
“That’s the plan of my opponent: take everything away, give it all back to the insurance companies, and if you think costs have gone up with the recent weeks, it’ll just skyrocket up, because insurance companies will be in charge again.”
Clinton has called for increasing the financial assistance under the law to make it affordable for more people. About 85 percent of ObamaCare enrollees receive financial assistance to cushion them from premium increases, but Clinton and others have called for extending help to people who do not currently qualify.
Clinton has also called for a public option to increase competition among insurers. She calls for fighting high drug costs through proposals like allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices as well.
Republicans in Congress strongly oppose all of those ideas, however, and it remains to be seen whether any deal to make smaller tweaks to the law can be worked out next year, as Democrats hope.
Clinton promises to 'tackle' rising ObamaCare premiums
460
Getty
By Peter Sullivan - 10/25/16 06:23 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton responded to news of ObamaCare premium hikes on Tuesday by saying she is going to “tackle” the problem of high costs, while defending the health law overall.
“We’re going to really tackle that, we’re going to get co-pays and premiums and deductibles down, we’re going to tackle prescription drug costs,” Clinton told the radio station Hot 105.
Republicans have jumped on the Obama administration’s announcement on Monday that premiums for the benchmark ObamaCare plan will increase by an average of 25 percent for 2017.
“We’re going to make changes to fix problems like that,” Clinton said. “The president and I have talked about it, and you know look, this is a major step forward, 20 million people and actually I’m sure you know this, predominantly working people, African-American, Latino people, now have access to insurance but the costs have gone up too much.”
Clinton is defending the law, pointing to the fact that 20 million people have gained coverage because of it, while also calling for fixes, and pointing out that Donald Trump would repeal the law’s coverage gains.
“We can do that without ripping away the insurance that people now have,” she said.
“That’s the plan of my opponent: take everything away, give it all back to the insurance companies, and if you think costs have gone up with the recent weeks, it’ll just skyrocket up, because insurance companies will be in charge again.”
Clinton has called for increasing the financial assistance under the law to make it affordable for more people. About 85 percent of ObamaCare enrollees receive financial assistance to cushion them from premium increases, but Clinton and others have called for extending help to people who do not currently qualify.
Clinton has also called for a public option to increase competition among insurers. She calls for fighting high drug costs through proposals like allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices as well.
Republicans in Congress strongly oppose all of those ideas, however, and it remains to be seen whether any deal to make smaller tweaks to the law can be worked out next year, as Democrats hope.
Clinton promises to 'tackle' rising ObamaCare premiums
