WHO-TV reported yesterday that Iowa Insurance Commissioner approved a double-digit rise in premiums for Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Wellmark Health plans premiums will increase by 11.9%. Blue Cross Blue Shield plans will see premium increase of 14.5%. The new rates that will take effect on January 1, 2015 and the company blames, in part, the “Affordable” Care Act. The Des Moines Register reported that CoOportunity Health and Coventry Health also asked for premium rate increases.
This rate increase will impact approximately 19,000 Iowans who have ACA-compliant plans.
Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) running for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat said in a statement in 2009, ““The Affordable Health Care for America Act will decrease health insurance costs, expand access to quality, affordable health care, improve reimbursements for Iowa medical providers and allow Americans to maintain their choice of health insurance. The Affordable Health Care for America Act is good for Iowa’s families, seniors and medical providers, and that’s why I voted for the bill on the House floor.”
His Republican opponent Joni Ernst in their first debate linked Braley to President Obama’s failed policies including Obamacare.
Former State Senator Staci Appel, who is the Democrat candidate running in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, said during Monday’s debate with David Young that she “fully supports” Obamacare.
State Representative Pat Murphy (D-Dubuque) in last night’s Iowa 1st Congressional District debate with Rod Blum said he supported Obamacare and offered little in the way of solutions. He said he would work against its repeal in an issue paper on his website. “Pat will work to help families and businesses understand how to take full advantage of its benefits and oppose any efforts to repeal the law which would put big insurance companies back in charge of health care decisions,” his campaign states.
Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) failed to distance himself from Obamacare during his debate with Mariannette Miller-Meeks. His website lauds “health care reform,” but does not use the term Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.
Jim Mowrer, the Democrat challenger to Congressman Steve King in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, told the Sioux City Journal that he is not worried about Obamacare blowback.
“It is a flawed law in several places, but it is also very important,” Mowrer said. A piece he doesn’t like is that certain high-end health care plans are heavily taxed. He also said more resources should be devoted to the healthcare.gov website so people won’t have problems getting information about policies.
Mowrer said King’s calls to completely repeal ObamaCare are misplaced, since there are good pieces such as that companies can no longer deny coverage to people having pre-existing medical conditions.
“The world didn’t come to an end, as Congressman King said it would,” Mowrer said.
No the world didn’t come to an end, but insurance rates are going up like Congressman Steve King and others warned.
On the heels of this news Americans for Prosperity released a new ad targeting Bruce Braley linking him to President Obama’s statement that his policies are on the ballot in November.