The negative consequences of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act already are cascading through the health sector, with millions of
Americans in states across the country learning that their health
insurers have withdrawn from the market, making it increasingly
difficult for them to find affordable coverage.
And this is
happening despite President Obama’s repeated promises that “If you like
your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan.
Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.”
Even though
most of the provisions of the health overhaul law don’t go into effect
until 2014, its destructive impact already is being felt by senior
citizens, children, small and medium-sized employers, and families and
individuals trying to buy their own health insurance.
Notably, a
recent health tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that
the American people increasingly are confused about whether or not the
health law is still in place. The House voted to repeal the law on
January 19, 2011 by a vote of 245–189, but the measure failed in the
Senate, and the president has vowed to veto the legislation if it were
to reach his desk. Yet, according to the Kaiser survey, 22 percent of
people think the law has been repealed and 26 percent are unsure. Just
over half accurately believe the legislation still stands.
But
the law is very much in place. Here is an overview of the carriers who
already have withdrawn from these markets, with itemized details in the
accompanying appendices.