Study: Romney health care plan to leave 72M uninsured
The percentage of uninsured people without either act by 2022. / The Commonwealth Fund
A new study released by the private foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, has revealed that 72 million Americans would be uninsured by 2022 if Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney wins the election and has his health care plan enacted. That compares to 27 million uninsured by the same time if President Barack Obama's Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) was kept in place with his reelection.
"There are stark differences between what each candidate has proposed for our health care system, and this report shines a light on how Americans might be affected, based on their age, their income, and where they live," the report's lead author Sara Collins, vice president for affordable health insurance at the Commonwealth Fund said to CNN. "The report finds that repealing the ACA would significantly increase the number of Americans without health insurance, limiting their ability to get the health care they need and exposing them to burdensome medical bills and debt."
The analysis was conducted by economist Jonathan Gruber, who advised the policymakers who wrote the ACA.
Currently, the government says there are more than 48 million Americans -- about 16 percent of the population -- without health insurance.
The percentage of uninsured people with President Barack Obama's Affordable Health Care Act by 2022.
/ The Commonwealth FundWhile some of President Barack Obama's ACA has already been implemented -- such as free preventive women's health care, allowing children 26 and younger to be covered by their parent's plans and not allowing insurance companies to deny people with pre-existing conditions -- many of the proposed changes will not be enforced until 2014. These include implementing near-universal health care coverage, with steps like expanding Medicaid health insurance plans to cover more low income people and organizing state-regulated plans that people can choose from.
State plans would all have to fit regulations set by the federal government, which has also set goals of including free annual wellness exams and getting rid of the prescription drug benefit's "donut hole" -- or gap between the initial coverage limit and the upper limit set by the federal government. In general, they are high-deductible insurance plans, which means low premiums but higher deductibles in case of an accident.
The Commonwealth Fund, which has supported the ACA, said that if all the intended changes were made, 23 million more Americans would get insurance.
However, in comparison, The Commonwealth Fund's analysis showed that 12 million fewer Americans would receive health insurance under Romney's plan compared with current rates. Romney has pledged to repeal the ACA and implement his own changes, which he believes will encourage more private insurance incentives (instead of state-decided plans) and give the individual more say in choosing a plan that is right for them. For example, those who wouldn't seek preventive women's health care wouldn't pay for those services under his plan.
The study also found that Romney's plan would cost Americans more money. People who choose to buy health insurance on their own would pay 14 percent of their income, compared to only 9 percent under the ACA, The Commonwealth Fund stated. The Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation added that repealing the ACA would cost a federal budget deficit of $109 billion between 2013 and 2022.
The Romney campaign argued the fund's study results were false.
"The Commonwealth study sadly contributes little to the health reform conversation that this country deserves," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul told TPM. "It badly mistakes Governor Romney's proposals. Worse, it assumes a fantasy world where Obamacare has been a success. Instead, Americans have seen their insurance premiums increase, small businesses are facing massive tax increases, and seniors will have reduced access to Medicare services. The simple truth is this: The American people do not want this law, we cannot afford this law, and when Mitt Romney is President he will repeal it and replace it with common-sense, patient-centered reforms that strengthen our health care system."
The percentage of uninsured people with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's health care plan by 2022.
/ The Commonwealth FundThough Romney hasn't provided exact details, he has laid out a broad framework for his health care proposal. Instead of opting for state-selected plans, the consumer would choose which private company they wanted to be insured by based on their needs. He or she would pay for that plan from funds from a personal health savings account (HSA) and be aided by tax breaks. Employers would deposit money into the HSAs, and the employee would choose the health care company.
Proponents of the HSA plan argue it will give Americans more choice.
"Health savings accounts empower the consumer in all aspects of health care decision making," Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said in a statement to the Associated Press explaining why he rejected the "essential health benefits" plan under the ACA on Oct. 1.
Bentley, a physician, added that having the federal government mandate what states should provide restricts people to picking plans that may not fit their needs.
"The Affordable Care Act includes many provisions, all supposedly geared toward making health insurance affordable, yet it does not include any significant mention of health savings accounts. I contend that the law does not make health insurance affordable and negatively affects consumer choice," he added.
Romney's plans would still allow for ACA provisions such free annual wellness exams and getting rid of the prescription drug benefit's donut hole and, theoretically, would push people towards high-deductible insurance plans. However, instead of being mandated by the federal government to include these benefits, consumers can choose to go with a company that includes these provisions. That way people will only pay for what they want coverage for.
"Healthcare is the only service in the United States that you buy and use without knowing what the price is," Dr. Scott Atlas, a Romney adviser with Stanford University's Hoover Institution, told Reuters. "If you're paying out of a health savings account, you actually see the bill. It really does reduce prices."
Critics, however, argue that those plans would not help people who have prolonged illnesses because they would spend their allotted health care funds faster and be forced to pay for care out of pocket.
Medicaid block grants would allow states to dole out the funds to the groups who they think need it the most, rather than try to add coverage for a federally-set amount of people.
Romney has argued that the ACA will increase costs for consumers, who already pay an average of $15,734 per hospital stay and spend 17.4 percent of the GDP on health care costs, NBCNews.com pointed out. For comparison, Romney's old health care plan he enacted in Massachusetts, the basis for the ACA, did increase costs while making sure that 98 percent of the population was insured. But, Romney has since claimed that while the plan worked for Massachusetts, it shouldn't become a federal mandate, and states and individuals should have more choice in choosing their health care.
The Commonwealth Fund isn't the first group to criticize Romney's plan. Families USA released a report stating that Romney's plan would cost families 92 percent more than the ACA by 2016.
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Hmmm. I know I can call an ambulance for a physical injury, but what if I am stricken with Cancer, Heart Disease, Kidney Failure, Lymphoma, Lung Disease, etc? "No Problem!" Just follow Mitt Romney's advice and pick up that phone and call 911.
I guess the GOP is correct. No need to worry about "silly wasteful human services such as Health Care." Many of them have no need worry about the cost Health Insurance because of their enormous financial safety cushions (often safely hidden away in breathtakingly beautiful exotic locations, such as the Cayman Islands). And remember the mindset of the GOP: "I've got mine, so to heck with you."
So if the Republican ticket wins this election, I know I can sleep better at night knowing that Lord and Lady Romney will be watching over us to make sure all of our vital health care needs are met. God Bless America.
Make it affordable yes - but to live in a country where those that work consistently pay for those that don't is UNFAIR!
And parents out there without insurance need to ask themselves, if you cannot afford insurance for yourself, then the answer is to not continue to have children that you are unable to insure! Seriously! Just how many of the 72 million are children! How many parents are being irresponsible by not insuring there kids but have a garage full of toys for their kids.
I understand those that are hard on their luck and have lost jobs, but they will get new jobs! (Cobra plans across the nation need to be more affordable for those in that situation ! ) Or if they are you are receiving Unemployment then allot a portion of that right off the top per check for their Cobra payments - If they don't receive it they won't spend it, after a bit they will even notice the lower amount from the check - and they will be insured in the interim! Trust me they are not working and any money they receive will be better than nothing, and they will have contributed to their own insurance not me. .
As for those that don't have jobs and can't afford insurance - GET A JOB! - If we are letting undocumented workers across the border and having them pick our fruits and vegetables then there are jobs out there!!! And I guarantee you that the migrant farmers will no be contributing to our tax pool so they will not be helping to pay for the uninsured! And we don't need to ay for theirs either!
I am sure that there a lot of the different situations that I have listed cover a large percentage of those uninsured! I know there are those that really need our help like the elderly and I am for a plan that will help them. But not at 55! the new elderly should start at 68 and up! Like the social security!
And a perfect case to prove my point - In case you missed the story about the bank robbers that threw the stolen money out of the car - THOUSANDS of unemployed, uninsured and just plain lazy people got off their couches and ran after the FREE money in the middle of the day! Really!!!!!
WAKE-UP !!!!!
People will take what is free and now we are saying you don't even have to chase the speeding car anymore and that they can just stay on their couches and it will come to them!
Soooo, deciding to not use what worked in the past for something untested is a good idea because?
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. Alexis de Tocqueville
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Because the good Lord has blessed you more than others and you should share with the poor as Jesus commanded.
Remember the phrase, "To whom much is given, much will be expected".
Hey folks, I have the sniffles. You should all send me money so I can go see a doctor and buy some NyQuil. This is much easier then having to pay it in taxes...just contact me for my paypal info.
So what could possibly go wrong?"