Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) issued the following statement after Wednesday’s announcement of the large premium rate increases in 2017 for the Obamacare marketplace exchange in Illinois:
“This is another unfortunate example of why I voted against the creation of Obamacare and continue to support repeal and replacement with solutions that use the free market rather than the heavy hand of government.
“Earlier this summer, we learned the Land of Lincoln co-op created under Obamacare will shut down and end coverage for thousands of Illinois residents, because it was financially unsustainable – losing over $90 million last year alone. Today we find out the remaining options available for Illinois residents in the exchange will take even more of their income in 2017. An individual plan will go up almost 50%, on average. Small group plans are also averaging double-digit increases.
“The President and his fellow Obamacare supporters promised all uninsured Americans this law would make health insurance accessible and affordable. Of course, he also vowed that those already with coverage they liked would be able to keep it. We now know that is simply not the case in Illinois and across the country. Because of increasing premiums and high deductibles, people are paying more for less coverage than they did before, while the newly insured are facing limited, expensive choices on the exchanges.
“We can and must do better by repealing Obamacare and rebuilding a foundation on free-market principals driven by competition, where insurers design and offer a variety of plan options for consumers to make choices on what meets their individual and family needs at a price they can afford.”
