|
 In an article published in the online edition of the Journal of the
American Medical Association, Obama said the Affordable Care Act had
made much progress toward improving access to healthcare and the
quality and affordability of care.
Many Republicans fiercely oppose the law saying it has raised health
coverage costs for Americans and have tried repeatedly to repeal it
in Congress
Obama said several challenges remain.
"Now, based on experience with the ACA, I think Congress should
revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas
of the country where competition is limited,” the president wrote.
Public programs like Medicare often deliver care more cost
effectively by curtailing administrative overhead and securing
better prices from providers, Obama said.
Republicans and some Democrats opposed the inclusion of a
government-run plan similar to Medicare in the original Obamacare
law, and the so-called "public option" did not make it into the
final legislation.
Since the ACA became law, the uninsured rate has declined to 9.1
percent in 2015 from 16 percent in 2010. Most enrollees live in
counties with at least three policy issuers, which helps keep down
costs, Obama said.
However, 12 percent of those enrolled in plans through the exchanges
live in areas with only one or two issuers. Adding a public plan in
such areas would give consumers more affordable options, he said.
Obama also called on Congress to increase financial assistance to
purchase coverage, which he said would help middle class families
who are stilling struggling with premiums.
[to top of second column] |
Obama said spending on prescription drugs, which rose 12 percent in
2014, remains a problem, and he urged Congress to act on his
proposal to increase transparency around manufacturers' production
and development costs. He said the federal government should be
given the authority to negotiate prices for certain high-priced
drugs.
Last month, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives
unveiled a plan to overhaul the nation's healthcare system that
would keep some of Obamacare's more popular provisions, including
protections for people with pre-existing conditions and allowing
young adults to stay on their parents' coverage until age 26.
The proposal, which is not formal legislation, is part of a broader
effort by House Speaker Paul Ryan to offer a Republican agenda ahead
of the Nov. 8 elections.
(Reporting by Susan Kelly in Chicago; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
