President Barack Obama on Monday suggested adding a government-run, or public, insurance option to the Affordable Care Act, The Wall Street Journal reports.
President Obama, writing as Barack Obama, JD, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, lauded the Affordable Care Act's progress, pointing to an uninsured rate that has declined by 43 percent, from 16 percent in 2010 to 9.1 percent in 2015, primarily because of the law's reforms. But he noted that major opportunities to improve the health care system remain.
He said Congress, which previously considered but then abandoned the idea, should revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where there is limited competition.
Arguing for a public option, President Obama noted the majority of the country has benefited from competition in the marketplaces, with 88 percent of enrollees living in counties with at least three issuers in 2016. Still, he said, the remaining 12 percent of enrollees live in areas with only one or two issuers.
"Adding a public plan in such areas would strengthen the marketplace approach, giving consumers more affordable options while also creating savings for the federal government," he concluded.
Following President Obama's editorial, Adam Brandon, CEO of conservative and libertarian advocacy group FreedomWorks, called for Americans to reject a public option in the ACA.
"ObamaCare, a creature of big government, is falling apart at the seams as more health insurance cooperatives fold and premiums on the exchanges rise. But rather than pursue patient-centered reforms, President Obama wants more even more government involvement in our healthcare system. Americans, who've seen the failures of this law, from its horribly botched rollout to its limited provider networks and costly premiums, should reject this idea," he said in a prepared statement.
Creating a public option is not the only thing on President Obama's wish list. He said policy makers should also continue to implement the health insurance marketplaces and delivery system reform, increase federal financial assistance for marketplace enrollees, and take actions to reduce prescription drug costs.
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