Are You Losing Your Health Insurance Because of Obamacare?

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Are You Losing Your Health Insurance Because of Obamacare? Over the past four years, we have talked a great deal about what I thought the problems with ObamaCare would be.  Because of our state's experience with TennCare, I anticipated that insurance would become increasingly unaffordable and that many Americans would lose access to their existing policies. Despite warnings from myself and others, the president pushed ahead and promised that Americans who liked the health insurance they had could keep their plan. Unfortunately, my worst fears have become a reality for too many Americans.  Take the example of Joann, who lives in Limestone, Tennessee. She works hard to make ends meet and on November 30 her current health insurance plan, which she purchases through her employer, will end. Joann's premiums will rise from $95 to $200 a month because her current policy doesn't meet the minimum benefit standards that ObamaCare established. With her salary, it is difficult for Joann to afford more expensive insurance, but now she's required to under the law's individual mandate. Ironically, the very law that requires Joann to purchase insurance is the very law that's causing her original, affordable plan to cease to exist. Joann's story is one being lived by millions of Americans across the country. According to recent news estimates, at least 3.5 million individuals have lost their insurance coverage because of ObamaCare. These same reports also note that because data in more than half the states is unavailable, the exact number of plans cancelled could be even higher. When President Obama reassured people repeatedly that if they liked their current health care plan they could keep it, he was ignoring clear warnings that this promise couldn't be kept. A June 2010 report in the Federal Register predicted that 93 million Americans would not be able to keep their existing health insurance plans because they would not meet ObamaCare's minimum coverage guidelines. So not only was President Obama wrong, he spent the last four years repeating this false promise. This week, the House passed H.R. 3550, the Keep Your Health Plan Act. This simple, bipartisan bill would allow all plans available today to be offered next year. This means that millions of Americans losing their health insurance because of ObamaCare could be permitted to keep their current insurance and not face a penalty. Despite this policy clearly being in line with the president's own promises, the administration refuses to consider any Republican idea that minimizes the law's negative impact. Since its October 1 launch, healthcare.gov is still not ready to help people purchase insurance. The website was intended to allow people to compare health insurance plans and make selections based on their needs, but the only people who have been able to sign up have had to spend hours on the website – time that most Americans just don't have. On Wednesday, the White House confirmed that only 106,185 people have enrolled in Obamacare  – a far cry from the Administration's initial estimate of 500,000 enrollments by this time. Despite numerous attempts, I myself have not been able to log in to browse plans. It's yet another indication that Obamacare was not ready for primetime. I remain committed to finding ways to protect Americans from this deeply flawed law and I want to hear from you. How is this law impacting you and your family? Please continue to call, email and write my office to share your thoughts. We're in this together and I want to help you and your family navigate this as best we can. Feel free to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you or your family. Our contact information can be found on our website, www.roe.house.gov. CONNECT WITH US E-News Sign-up Forward to a Friend  Contact Phil SHARE YOUR STORY Are you losing your health insurance plan  or have your premiums risen because of Obamacare?  Click here to share your story. Washington, DC Office 407 Cannon House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6356 Fax: (202) 225-5714 Kingsport Office PO Box 1728 Kingsport, TN 37662 Phone: (423) 247-8161 Fax: (423) 247-0119 Morristown Office 1609 College Park Drive, Suite 4 Morristown, TN 37813 Phone: (423) 254-1400 Fax: (423) 254-1403