Six years after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, the landmark health-care legislation is still facing massive issues.
In honor of Obamacare’s birthday, heres a look at six of Obamacare’s biggest failures since its implementation.
HealthCare.gov’s botched rollout
Those trying to purchase insurance through the federal marketplace – which continues to face issues – experienced a slew of technical difficulties upon its launch Oct. 1, 2013.
A report from the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services found the administration’s lack of clear leadership and push to launch the website on schedule despite clear concerns led to the its disastrous debut.
Obamacare co-ops tank, unlikely to pay back more than $1 billion in federal loans
Nevada Obamacare Exchange
Twelve of the 23 Obamacare co-ops, designed to increase competition in the marketplace, have failed since they kicked off in 2011, with more expected to go under. The nonprofit cooperatives received a total of $2.5 billion in federal loans – $1.4 billion of which is not expected to be paid back.
Despite the co-ops being a massive flop, top executives were paid massive salaries. Democratic lawmakers claim they needed more federal funding to succeed.
Despite the president’s promises, many patients were unable to keep their health plans or their doctors
“If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan,” Obama said of the ACA. Turns out he was wrong. By 2014, 4.7 million Americans’ saw their plans cancelled.
The commander-in-chief went on national television to apologize for coverage lost due to legislation. “I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me,” he told NBC News in 2013.
Health-care premiums and deductibles skyrocketed
According to Freedom Partners, an Arlington, Va.-based pro free-market non-profit, premiums in the individual market place jumped in all but one state (Mississippi) in 2016. On average, premiums soared by 20.3 percent, far higher than the 7.3 percent projected by federal officials, according to an analysis conducted by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Freedom partners also found 41 states are facing higher deductibles this year – 17 of which saw a double-digit increase.
It reduces labor supply, strangles small businesses
A 2014 report by the Congressional Budget Office shows millions of Americans have and will continue to see their hours reduced due to the legislation, with the largest decline in labor supply affecting low-income workers. “The reduction in CBO’s projections of hours worked represents a decline in the number of full-time-equivalent workers of about 2.0 million in 2017, rising to about 2.5 million in 2024,” the nonpartisan congressional scorekeeper said.
Small businesses have complained the mandate has caused them to reconsider providing health coverage due to increased costs. The administration tried to provide an incentive with the small employer health tax credit, but it was largely seen as a failure.
It failed to prevent fraud, allowing for millions in subsidies to be handed out at the expense of taxpayers
The Government Accountability Office released a report saying the administration has taken a “passive approach” to preventing fraud, with 34 percent of applications showing inconsistencies during the 2014 enrollment period – putting $1.7 billion in taxpayer subsidies at risk.
A separate report released by thee Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found $750 million in Affordable Care Act subsidies went to illegal immigrants or individuals whose status was not properly verified.
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