United Liberty

The Congressional Budget Office is out with some numbers today that shows that ObamaCare would cause premiums to increase for anyone buying their own insurance policy or through a government sponsored “exchange”:

The report, prepared at the request of Sen. Evan Bayh, found that those obtaining insurance on their own or through the government-run exchanges could expect to pay 10 percent to 13 percent more for insurance in 2016 than they would under current law. In dollar terms, in 2016 an individual policy would cost $5,800 and a family policy would cost $15,200 if the Senate bill were enacted, according to the CBO, compared with $5,500 and $13,100 under the status quo.

Of course, taxpayers will be subsidizing at least half of these individuals.

Group plans for small business, according to the CBO, could increase by as much as one percent or fall by as much as two percent. For larger groups, premiums would either stay the same or decrease by three percent.

CBO put its usual disclaimer down on the estimates. This is probably a good time to remind you of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which operates under the Department of Health and Human Services, report that showed higher health care costs under ObamaCare than the status quo.

Let’s fix the system, but in ways that will actually reduce costs and open up competition without putting taxpayers at risk.