Our View

Our View

State’s version of Obamacare still a bloated mess

Oh Boy!!! Guess what? Well more than 20,000 Arkansans have signed up for the state’s version of Obamacare from mid-March through mid-June, bringing the total enrollment in this government subsidized health care program to nearly 300,000.

And, get this, since Dec. 15, enrollment has grown well more than 20 percent, from 213,026.

So then, what does all this mean? Well, the state’s Health Reform Legislative Task Force isn’t jumping for joy hearing that these enrollment figures is now resulting rate increases for those individuals eligible to pay part or all of their premiums as well as for taxpayers subsidizing the government’s free health care to the thousands of Arkansans unable to afford to pay any of the costs.

And get this, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, for instance, is raising the cost for health care coverage by 9.7 percent. The insurer originally wanted a 14.7 percent increase but that was rejected by Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr.

The company is telling the state’s bureaucrats and lawmakers that it expects to lose $60 million on the plans offered in Arkansas next year which company officials say will result in bigger rate increases in the future.

Let’s also not forget Arkansas taxpayers will starting paying 5 percent the state’s health care program, called the private option, a version of Obamacare and part of the state’s Medicaid program.

By 2020, the state taxpayers will be shelling out 20 percent of the cost under the private option that was created in 2013 as a primary way of extending Medicaid coverage to adults classified as “poor”.

Now then, if all this isn’t of serious concern for Arkansas taxpayers let us continue by saying in addition to the premiums charged by insurers, the state’s cost varies according to an enrollee’s age and choice of plan.

For example, from 2014 to 2015, the state’s average per enrollee cost was $486.98 per month. Through July, the per enrollee cost this year has averaged nearly $500 per month, according to figures given to this task force.

While some responsible, non-liberal lawmakers would like to impose more charges on enrollees, Obama’s bureaucrats are making it clear they won’t approve such a thing. Should that surprise anyone?

Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, is calling this situation “a big problem”. He went on to say, “There’s a point at which I think it tests the resolve of any of us to support something that is so insane as what is happening here.” We could not agree more with his assessment.

It is fully expected that when Arkansas lawmakers convene in regular session of the Legislature in January this troublesome situation will have to be seriously addressed. The fact of the matter is that Arkansas taxpayers can’t continue to be slapped with out-of-control health care costs for the 307,878 people. And, that number is only increasing by the day with little or no signs of leveling off or decreasing.

So, what is the solution you ask? Education, workforce training and developing successful methods of creating jobs capable of making these 307,878 people capable of taking care of themselves rather than depending upon government subsidies and dependence.