It’s as if he’s out to destroy the health insurance industry?
Barack Obama, without the consent of Congress, unilaterally lifted the mandate for those millions who lost their insurance this year due to Obamacare.
Over five million Americans have lost their insurance so far thanks to Obamacare. (J. Hoft chart)
And, once again Republicans in Congress will allow him to get away with this latest lawless adjustment to the Democrat’s failed health care law. This was the 14th unilateral change to Obamacare that’s been made without Congressional approval.
Bloomberg reported:
Americans whose health plans are being canceled because their coverage doesn’t meet Obamacare rules will be exempt from the mandate that they carry insurance, under a change announced by the Obama administration.
Officials estimated the change will affect fewer than 500,000 people as a Dec. 23 deadline looms to purchase health policies to be eligible for coverage beginning Jan. 1. People losing coverage also will be eligible to buy high-deductible “catastrophic” insurance the law usually limits to those younger than age 30.
Insurers warned that the new exemptions, which would last a year and potentially longer for consumers granted hardship exceptions, risk destabilizing the new marketplaces if younger, healthier people who now carry cheap policies opt out of buying replacement coverage.
“This latest rule change could cause significant instability in the marketplace and lead to further confusion and disruption for consumers,” Karen Ignagni, the president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s Washington lobby group, said in an e-mail from a spokesman.