Post by Logan on Apr 26, 2016 0:25:43 GMT -6
Why Affordable Care Act could become key issue in Arizona's Senate race
A potential shakeup in Arizona's Affordable Care Act marketplaces is resurrecting President Barack Obama's 2010 health-care law as a political issue in this year's U.S. Senate race.
The developments mean customers will have fewer subsidized plans to pick from next year, and in some rural counties, they could have no options at all. UnitedHealthcare, the national insurance giant, on Tuesday signaled that it intends to abandon Arizona's Affordable Care Act marketplace in 2017. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, the only other insurer to offer plans in all of Arizona’s 15 counties, also is considering pulling out of some areas.
Arizona voters could face a stark choice on the issue in November.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., voted against the 2010 legislation, and he has introduced a new health-care bill that would replace the law. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., the likely Democratic Senate nominee, supported President Obama’s health-care law, making her the first U.S. House lawmaker who voted for the ACA — dubbed “Obamacare” by critics — to seek statewide office in Arizona. She says she wants to fix any problems with it.
One McCain ally predicted the ACA will weigh heavily on the minds of many general-election voters, particularly in rural areas where choices are diminishing.
Read more: www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/azdc/2016/04/24/affordable-care-act--obamacare-issue-arizonas-senate-race/83399712/
One of the faults with the Affordable Care Act is that the private insurers are still involved with making decisions as to which markets are profitable and eliminating any exposure in markets that are not profitable. That is most evident in markets that are rural or with a population base that is numerous enough to guarantee that the hospitals and the insurers are both profitable. It is debatable as to whether a single-payer program would work because in order for the government to run it efficiently then it would have to limit care in some manner whether if it by limiting facilities in the plan or by delaying some procedures such as non-emergency care.
A potential shakeup in Arizona's Affordable Care Act marketplaces is resurrecting President Barack Obama's 2010 health-care law as a political issue in this year's U.S. Senate race.
The developments mean customers will have fewer subsidized plans to pick from next year, and in some rural counties, they could have no options at all. UnitedHealthcare, the national insurance giant, on Tuesday signaled that it intends to abandon Arizona's Affordable Care Act marketplace in 2017. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, the only other insurer to offer plans in all of Arizona’s 15 counties, also is considering pulling out of some areas.
Arizona voters could face a stark choice on the issue in November.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., voted against the 2010 legislation, and he has introduced a new health-care bill that would replace the law. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., the likely Democratic Senate nominee, supported President Obama’s health-care law, making her the first U.S. House lawmaker who voted for the ACA — dubbed “Obamacare” by critics — to seek statewide office in Arizona. She says she wants to fix any problems with it.
One McCain ally predicted the ACA will weigh heavily on the minds of many general-election voters, particularly in rural areas where choices are diminishing.
Read more: www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/azdc/2016/04/24/affordable-care-act--obamacare-issue-arizonas-senate-race/83399712/
One of the faults with the Affordable Care Act is that the private insurers are still involved with making decisions as to which markets are profitable and eliminating any exposure in markets that are not profitable. That is most evident in markets that are rural or with a population base that is numerous enough to guarantee that the hospitals and the insurers are both profitable. It is debatable as to whether a single-payer program would work because in order for the government to run it efficiently then it would have to limit care in some manner whether if it by limiting facilities in the plan or by delaying some procedures such as non-emergency care.