CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire residents who rely on the Affordable Care Act remain worried, even as repeal and replace efforts in Congress repeatedly collapse.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump invited GOP senators to the White House for lunch, telling them they shouldn’t leave Washington for their August recess unless they act on legislation to repeal and replace the Obama-era health care law. Those comments came a day after Republicans derailed a vote on a repeal-and-replace bill, prompting talk of a straight-up repeal vote instead.
The uncertainty had Deborah deMoulpied, of Concord, on edge.
“I’m biting my nails,” said deMoulpied, 62, adding that she has no confidence in Congress coming up with a replacement that would allow her to continue to afford insurance given her age and preexisting condition, thyroid cancer.
“Based on their track record of seven years of not working it out and Trump constantly lying, to have an faith in that is just like, ’I have a bridge to sell you,’” she said. “They’re not going to agree on anything that is actually better than what we have now because Republicans don’t want to pay for it.”
When she first purchased a plan through the Affordable Care Act in 2014, deMoulpied owned a small home goods store. She has since sold the store, and is “semi-retired.” The turmoil in Washington made her more careful about money.
“I’m sort of watching my pennies more,” she said. “It has made me pull back on spending. I’m more cautious.”
She’s also been thinking about what health tests she might want to schedule in the next few months in case she loses coverage later, and what she’d be able to do without after that.
“It’s been a roller coaster. You can’t count on anything,” she said.
About 98,000 individuals in New Hampshire are covered through the state’s federally facilitated marketplace; about 43,000 of those are Medicaid recipients. Among the non-Medicaid recipients, the average monthly premium was $399, though nearly two-thirds of the individuals receive subsidies or tax credits, bringing the average to $242.
Premium rates are likely to increase significantly next year given the uncertainty in Washington, which has prompted the state insurance department to take steps to try to stabilize the market. On Wednesday, the department posted a notice seeking public comment as its first step in applying for $8.2 million in federal funding.
The state hopes to create a reinsurance program paid for with federal funding and an assessment on health insurance companies that would provide $45 million to cover the cost of high-costs claims. That in turn would allow companies to lower their rates, the insurance department said.
Gov. Chris Sununu said he disagrees with charging insurance companies, but praised the department for moving ahead.
“Obamacare is collapsing under its own weight and I appreciate the effort by Commissioner Sevigny and his team to stabilize our market,” he said. “The federal government also must act but we will do what we can to help Granite Staters who rely on the individual market for their health care.”
In the meantime, Michael Morris, 54, of Strafford, said he’s wondering: “What the heck is going to happen?”
Morris, a musician and yoga instructor, went without insurance for years before he and his wife purchased a family plan under the Affordable Care Act in 2014. They’re now covered under the state’s expanded Medicaid plan because their incomes dropped last year but next year, they hope to go back to Obamacare.
Morris said while the ACA has helped his family, he understands the drive to replace it given skyrocketing premiums.
“I can understand where they’re coming from,” he said.
He’s less understanding of the notion of scrapping it and fixing it later.
“That’s irresponsible,” he said. “What the heck? That’s like a time bomb for people,” he said. “They can’t get anything done, so why would they even think they could come up with something?”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.