From day one, Obamacare’s individual mandate – which imposes financial penalties upon people who lack health insurance – has been controversial, to say the least.
This is especially true for people who live in areas without access to alternative health insurance providers. Just imagine living in a county where there are no reputable health insurance providers, where the only option is to sign up for a single Obamacare plan without any other options, and where the failure to do will result in the government gouging your paycheck.
For many, it’s a situation straight out of the nightmare literature of Franz Kafka.
How, they argue, is Obamacare helping me, when its very implementation is a burden from which I cannot escape?
Now Republican Senators aim to stop this practice by means of a new bill that would exempt people from Obamacare’s individual mandate if they live in a county with one or no options for coverage.
The new push for fairness under Obamacare is led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who argues that it is objectively wrong to penalize people simply because of their geographical situation.
“Nearly all of Arizona’s counties are now left with either one or no options when it comes to health insurance under Obamacare,” McCain said in a statement. “This legislation would ensure that Arizonans are not forced to pay a penalty due to the failure of a health care system that was fatally flawed from conception.”
The bill is supported by McCain’s compatriot Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who called Obamacare’s current operations in the state “an unmitigated disaster” that has created a system in which “13 of the state’s 15 counties are devoid of competition because they are left with only a single insurer willing to sell coverage.”
“Instead of lowering costs, Obamacare has made things worse: insurance companies across the country are fleeing the exchange market at an alarming rate, premiums have skyrocketed, and networks have become more narrow,” added Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). “Obamacare is in a death spiral. What’s worse, Obamacare will impose a fine on countless individuals who no longer have affordable insurance options in their county.”
This newest bill is in line with Republican lawmakers’ continued opposition to the inaptly-named Affordable Care Act, evident in similar legislation introduced by McCain that would fully repeal and replace Obamacare with affordable solutions, while providing patients with more autonomy over their health care decisions.
Watch McCain’s full address to the Senate for more information.
Evan Smith is a Staff Writer for Opportunity Lives. You can follow him on Twitter @Evansmithreport.
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