Team Obama Already In Spin Mode Ahead Of Obamacare Rate Hikes

by William Teach | July 7, 2014 6:49 am

Politico refers to the coming rate hikes as a “September Surprise[1]“. How is it a surprise when ever already knows that Obamacare rates are going to take a nice little spike?

Obamacare open enrollment closed March 31. The White House’s Obamacare war room did not.

Most state health insurance rates for 2015 are scheduled to be approved by early fall, and most are likely to rise, timing that couldn’t be worse for Democrats already on defense in the midterms.

The White House and its allies know they’ve been beaten in every previous round of Obamacare messaging, never more devastatingly than in 2010. And they know the results this November could hinge in large part on whether that happens again.

So they’re trying to avoid – or at least, get ahead of – any September surprise.

Aware that state insurance rate hikes could give Republicans a chance to resurrect Obamacare as a political liability just weeks before the midterms, the White House’s internal health care enrollment outreach apparatus immediately redirected into a rapid-response, blocking-and-tackling research and press operation geared toward preempting GOP attacks on the issue.

Premiums are expected to rise. Some in double digits, some not. Rather than rates going down, per the million and one times Obama and the Ocare supporters stated it would reduced family costs by $2500, they are going up. Rates are going up, despite it being called the “Affordable Care Act”. And what is Team Obama doing? Something to fix the rising costs? Nope. Spinning.

For months, the half-dozen White House communications and policy aides have been assembling state-by-state histories of health insurance rates before the Affordable Care Act was implemented, the drop-offs between initial rate proposals and final rates, and an analysis of the law’s effects and projections for 2015 – all condensed to fit on a two-page background and talking points document tailored for each state.

The law might be popular if costs were down. Of course, the costs would be worse if the deductibles weren’t so high. There’s no attempt to fix any of this, just an attempt to provide political spin.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[2]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[3].

Endnotes:
  1. September Surprise: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/obamacare-insurance-rates-white-house-108590.html?hp=t1
  2. Pirate’s Cove: http://www.thepiratescove.us/
  3. @WilliamTeach: http://twitter.com/WilliamTeach

Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/obamacare/team-obama-already-in-spin-mode-ahead-of-obamacare-rate-hikes/