Healthcare premiums are going up and many healthcare insurance companies are blaming the uncertainty of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and what Republicans may or may not do with healthcare.

The uncertainty is already hitting healthcare insurance providers in Idaho, according to the following report:

“The five insurers serving the individual market in Idaho are Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Mountain Health Co-Op, PacificSource Health Plans, Regence BlueShield of Idaho, and SelectHealth.”

“For all plans, insurers requested rates ranging from a low of 25 percent to a high of 51 percent for a combined average statewide rate increase of 38 percent. For Obamacare’s popular Silver plan, the average rate increase among all insurers was even higher at 50 percent, with one insurer requesting a high of 81 percent.”

How many people can afford to pay the increased premiums? If the average family is already paying $300 to $500 a month for healthcare insurance, depending on what plan they continue with, they could see their premiums go up to anywhere from $375 to $905 a month. That’s as much as a mortgage payment for many families.

Dean Cameron, Idaho Insurance Department Director, commented, saying:

“I am deeply disappointed and frustrated to share these rates. I understand how difficult it will be for Idahoans to afford reasonable coverage, especially those without a subsidy.”

“I call on Congress to either repeal the CSR requirement or fund the program. That action alone would reduce the proposed increase by at least 20 percent on the Silver plans.”

Even if that happened, people in Idaho with Silver plans could still see premiums increases of up to 60%. That would still take a $500 a month premium up to $800 a month. I know very few people who have received pay increases of $300 a month. Do you know any?

Cameron blamed the higher premium increases for silver plans on the uncertainty of the future of Obamacare and what Republicans will do to replace it. Oh really? Based on the history of the past couple of years, blaming rate increases on the uncertainty is just a cope out excuse to blame rate hikes on.

Remember all the media hype about the Congressional Business Office (CBO) estimating that about 26 million Americans would lose their healthcare under the proposed Senate Republicans plan that didn’t get enough support to pass?

Now recall that the same CBO estimated that under Obamacare over 25 million MORE Americans would have healthcare coverage under Obamacare and the reality is that only about 11-15 million did.

Then you have to consider that over the past several years of Obamacare, at least 6 million Americans LOST their healthcare due to many insurance providers cancelling plans, pulling out of the Obamacare exchange program and the collapse of the CO-OPs created by Obamacare. All of this was happening long before Republicans gained the necessary control of Congress and the White House to make any changes or replacements. So, what was the excuse before GOP control?

The problem all started with the entire premise that Obamacare was allegedly built upon. It required millions of younger healthy adults to obtain healthcare insurance policies. Their premiums would help subsidize the payouts for older, less healthy and those with chronic health conditions and diseases.

However, less than half of the needed healthy younger adults signed up for healthcare coverage. That means the foundation Obamacare was built on was never put in place, resulting in the financial collapse of the entire system, which is what we’ve been witnessing.