President Barack Obama last week offered suggestions for improving his signature healthcare reform law while saying it has had many successes and is slowed mostly by political gamesmanship.
The Affordable Care Act faces major challenges. Premiums are rising by double digits in some parts of the country and many major insurers have abandoned the exchanges, leaving consumers with few choices next year and contributing to higher prices.
Obama said there should be more premium tax credits for middle-income families who currently make too much money to qualify for a subsidy. He also said there should be a fallback public option for states where there is not enough competition among insurers. Obama's other recommendations were for the 19 states that have refused to expand Medicaid eligibility to change their stances and to encourage healthcare innovation in all states.
Obama said ACA struggles such as increasing premiums and unstable exchange markets can be blamed mostly on Republicans playing politics. He likened the ACA to a smartphone that has some bugs when it is first rolled out. “You don't go back to using a rotary phone,” he said. “You don't say 'We're repealing smartphones.' ”
Obama also suggested he might have supported a single-payer system if it were politically possible. But “we couldn't get single-payer passed,” he said, so he focused on getting coverage for as many people as possible.
