WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama told insurers this week his health care overhaul has had some growing pains. But with premiums rising and marquee insurers bailing, could the real diagnosis be “failure to thrive?”
The medical term refers to when patients, often youngsters but also adults, fail to achieve or maintain proper weight. This is the fourth election cycle in which the Affordable Care Act has been in play, struggling for political traction and a healthy level of acceptance from a divided public.
Here’s a look at key indicators for the health of “Obamacare,” now and in the future:
Uninsured: in remission, but no full cure
The uninsured rate is 8.6 percent, a historic low, according to the most up-to-date government numbers. That means at least 21 million fewer people uninsured since the law passed in 2010, reversing decades-long coverage losses. Experts credit the law for nearly all the progress.
That’s to be expected when the government requires most people to have health insurance, provides tens of billions of dollars a year to subsidize premiums, and imposes fines on holdouts remaining uninsured. The law also bars insurers from turning away those in poor health.
Prognosis: Slower progress; risk of relapse.
Cost: temperature rising
So far, the Affordable Care Act has actually cost taxpayers less than what nonpartisan congressional experts estimated when it passed. That’s because fewer people than expected are covered, and also the average subsidy has been lower than originally projected.
Prognosis: Frequent monitoring needed.
Quality and choice: still seen as a plus
Sixty-eight percent of consumers who have a plan through the health law’s marketplaces rate their overall coverage as excellent or good. A recent survey by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation also found high satisfaction with choice of hospitals and doctors, and with copays. But only about half were satisfied with their annual deductibles.
In a worrisome sign, the survey found fewer customers than in previous years saying that overall, their plans are a good value for what they pay. That has slipped below 50 percent.
So far, Obama’s law Prognosis: Guarded.
Political acceptance: tbd
Prognosis: Clearly, Obama’s health care legacy is in the hands of his successor.