On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader U Chuck Schumer snapped that Humana’s decision to leave the Affordable Care Act exchanges was a direct result of GOP policies instituted in the brief period they have been running the government.
Schumer stated: “Congressional Republicans’ reckless and irresponsible plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act is already taking health care away from the American people and causing confusion and instability in the insurance market. Anyone losing access to their insurance has only President Trump and Congressional Republicans to blame.”
Schumer is posturing, of course, but what makes his statements especially ridiculous is the openness with which Humana made clear that its decision was prompted by actions occurring during the Obama Administration.
Humana stated last July:
The Health Care Reform Law, including The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, could have a material adverse effect on Humana’s results of operations, including restricting revenue, enrollment and premium growth in certain products and market segments, restricting the company’s ability to expand into new markets, increasing the company’s medical and operating costs by, among other things, requiring a minimum benefit ratio on insured products, lowering the company’s Medicare payment rates and increasing the company’s expenses associated with a non-deductible health insurance industry fee and other assessments; the company’s financial position, including the company’s ability to maintain the value of its goodwill; and the company’s cash flows.
Last August Humana left the health care exchanges in Utah; Marina Renneke, a Humana spokeswoman, stated, “We strive to offer affordable, high-quality and attractive individual insurance products, but a number of persistent issues in the individual insurance market hinder our ability to do so.”
But it’s all the GOP’s fault, right, Chuck?