President Obama announces today that he supports a “fix” for Obamacare that would allow some Americans to keep the healthcare plans they already had for an additional year. That was already built into the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare law. It’s not an actual change to anything, it’s just an attempt to get out ahead of the bills that Republican Fred Upton and Democrat Mary Landrieu are sponsoring in the House and Senate that would legislatively “fix” Obamacare. It’s an exercise in blame-shifting, and an abdication of leadership.
As news of the plan leaked, skepticism spread.
RT @ezraklein Not sure it's such good idea WH to enrage insurers right now. They need a lot technical cooperation on http://t.co/0jzGFQwlEt
— slone (@slone) November 14, 2013
insurance source to @EvanMcSan "doesn’t change anything other than force insurers to be the political flack jackets for the administration"
— KateNocera (@KateNocera) November 14, 2013
After today, Obama admin will direct all inquiries to insurers and state insurance commissioners, say it's in their hands.
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) November 14, 2013
RT @bdomenech This isn't a fix. It's changing one aspect where Obamacare is /working/ according to progressives.
— Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff) November 14, 2013
Most insurers have the option to "early renew" policies in December 2013, to last through Nov. 2014 under current law.
— Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff) November 14, 2013
More from insurance industry source on WH O-care fix: "This is a joke – doesn't change anything but allow WH to blame insurance companies"
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) November 14, 2013
"Hey! I know how to fix our credibility problem! Let's put out a false fix that shifts blame to the insurance companies." @JohnJHarwood
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) November 14, 2013
Barack Obama’s credibility is now entirely gone. Having never had any Republicans on board with Obamacare, he cannot blame them. He cannot accept blame himself or blame Congress, as it was controlled entirely by Democrats when Obamacare passed. It’s not in his character to accept responsibility for anything he does that doesn’t turn out good. His only hope was to try shifting blame to the insurance companies, so that’s what he intends to do.
His new “fix” mocks his own recent statements on his own signature law.
BEWARE: Obama taking America back to "wild west," where people victimized by "substandard," "bad apple" insurance plans.
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 14, 2013
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