The Supreme Court gave President Obama a reason to be giddy about the status of his signature health care legislation on Friday, upholding Obamacare subsidies for individuals living in states without state based Obamacare exchanges. He promptly held a presser at the White House, beaming that the Affordable Care Act was “here to stay.” Now, it appears he’s taking his victory tour to Tennessee.
Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), a former nurse, suggested that maybe the president should have done a little research before choosing her state to promote his pride and joy.
“During his visit to Tennessee, perhaps President Obama will explain why Obamacare customers in our state have been told to expect a 36 percent premium increase next year, despite the President’s promise that his law would save families an average of $2,500 per year. Or maybe he will address the 28,000 Tennesseans who lost their insurance coverage in a single day despite his pledge that ‘If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.’ Whatever the case, the President has picked the wrong location to take a victory lap on the Supreme Court’s irresponsible ruling and my conservative colleagues and I will not relent in the fight to fully repeal Obamacare.”
Ouch.
The ACA's trail of destruction doesn’t end there. A nationwide CNN poll revealed that twice as many Americans were hurt by Obamacare than benefited from it.
The pinch was especially felt in Tennessee, where state-sponsored insurance programs, which thousands of residents relied on, were effectively shut down thanks to ACA. Here’s how families found out:
Letters are going out this week to explain the changes to people covered by AccessTN, a program for people who have pre-existing medical conditions, and by CoverRX, a prescription benefits program. The 16,000 people enrolled in CoverTN, a limited benefits plan, have already been notified it will end Dec. 31. Many families also have received notice they will no longer be able to buy into CoverKids.
No wonder why Rep. Black is sending a message to President Obama that no speech can put a Band Aid on what these families endured.
“I don’t know what the President will say during his visit to the Volunteer State, but no amount of spin can change the fact that Obamacare is failing to live up to its most basic promises and is hurting too many Tennesseans.”