Senate Leadership Fund

In December of 2009, then Senator Evan Bayh was the deciding vote for Obamacare. Today, Hoosiers are dealing with the consequences of that decision. Rates are up as much as 25%, our deductibles are skyrocketing, and we’re facing over $802 billion in Medicare cuts. Evan Bayh could have stopped this, but instead he sided with Democrats in Washington. He helped them, and we suffered.

Evan Bayh sold us out. Time for us to return the favor and reject his bid for Senate. Learn more below:

On December 23, 2009, Bayh Voted To Invoke Cloture On ObamaCare. “Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the bill that would create marketplaces for purchasing health insurance, create a system of national private insurance plans supervised by the Office of Personnel Management, require most individuals to obtain insurance and impose requirements on insurance companies regarding the coverage that they offer.” (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #395: Adopted 60-39: R 0-39, D 58-0, I 2-0, 12/23/09, Bayh Voted Yea)

The Commissioner Of The Indiana Department Of Insurance Said That “The Health Insurance Rates In The Indiana Marketplace Are Going To Increase. In Fact, Many Hoosiers Will See A Double Digit Increase In Rates.” “In Indiana, the benchmark plan will be 3% cheaper, according to CNN. But the Indiana Department of Insurance issued the following statement Tuesday, saying that figure is misleading: ‘The health insurance rates in the Indiana Marketplace are going to increase. In fact, many Hoosiers will see a double digit increase in rates. The way the reporter characterized the rate change misleads Hoosiers,’ said Stephen W. Robertson, Commissioner of Indiana Department of Insurance.” (“Obamacare premiums to skyrocket to average of 22% in 2017,” FOX 59, 10/25/16)

In August 2016, Physicians Health Plan Of Northern Indiana Announced Its Departure From The ACA Marketplace In Indiana, “Reducing Competition And Forcing More Than 6,000 Customers To Switch To Other Coverage.” “Another health insurance company says it’s leaving the Affordable Care Act marketplace in Indiana for 2017, reducing competition and forcing more than 6,000 customers to switch to other coverage. Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana announced its departure Tuesday, calling it a business decision to avoid ‘millions of dollars in losses.’ The not-for-profit will continue to sell small group plans, but is dropping all of its individual products, both on and off the exchange.” (“Physicians Health Plan to stop offering individual coverage,” Associated Press, 8/24/16)

Southeastern Indiana Health Organization Also Said It Would Not Sell On The Individual Marketplace. “Another health insurer, Southeastern Indiana Health Organization (SIHO), also will not sell on the on the individual marketplace next year, nor will it sell small group insurance, the insurance department said. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy initiative, is projected to cover about 12 million people this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But it has proven volatile for health insurances selling coverage in the new markets.” (John Russell, “UnitedHealth to exit Indiana next year for Obamacare policies,” Indianapolis Business Journal, 5/16/16)

Indianapolis Star Headline: “Some Obamacare rates rise 25% as Healthcare.gov opens for shopping” (Jayne O’Donnell, “Some Obamacare rates rise 25% as Healthcare.gov opens for shopping,” Indianapolis Star, 10/24/16)

“Federal Regulators Opened The Federal Exchange Healthcare.Gov For Consumers To Browse For Plans On Monday, As They Announced That Rates Will Be Up 25% For The Plans For Which The Tax Subsidies Are Calculated.” (Jayne O’Donnell, “Some Obamacare rates rise 25% as Healthcare.gov opens for shopping,” Indianapolis Star, 10/24/16)

“Next Year, Based Upon Current Enrollment, The Average Rate Will Increase By 18.7% Over The 2016 Rates For The Indiana Marketplace.” (“Obamacare premiums to skyrocket to average of 22% in 2017,” FOX 59, 10/25/16)

“Members Currently Enrolled In The State’s Largest Plan May See Up To An Average 29% Increase.” “Overall, the premiums in the Indiana individual market have gone up by almost 70% since the Affordable Care Act was implemented. Members currently enrolled in the state’s largest plan may see up to an average 29% increase.” “(“Obamacare premiums to skyrocket to average of 22% in 2017,” FOX 59, 10/25/16)

NPR Headline: “Rising Health Deductibles Take Bigger Bite Out Of Family Budgets” (Alison Kodjak, “Rising Health Deductibles Take Bigger Bite Out Of Family Budgets,” NPR, 9/22/15)

“Health Care Costs Continue To Rise, And Workers Are Shouldering More Of The Burden. The Big Reason? Skyrocketing Deductibles.” “Health care costs continue to rise, and workers are shouldering more of the burden. The big reason? Skyrocketing deductibles. More companies are adding deductibles to the insurance plans they offer their employees. And for those who already had to pay deductibles, the out-of-pocket outlays are growing.” (Alison Kodjak, “Rising Health Deductibles Take Bigger Bite Out Of Family Budgets,” NPR, 9/22/15)

The Size Of Deductibles Have Been Steadily Going Up. “But while you may feel as if you’re paying more for your medical care, premiums for employer-based insurance have been increasing at historically low rates. Premiums for the average single person in the employer market are the same this year as they were in 2015, according to a large survey of employers from the Kaiser Family Foundation; prices for most family plans are rising by 3 percent. What has probably changed is the size of your deductible, which has been going up steadily. Employers have been shifting costs to their workers, a trend that began long before Obamacare went into effect.” (Reed Abelson and Margo Sanger-Katz, “A Quick Guide to Rising Obamacare Rates,” New York Times, 10/25/16)

“Despite Rate And Deductible Increases, President Obama On Thursday Defended His Namesake Health Care Program And Said Millions Of Americans ‘Now Know The Financial Security Of Health Insurance’ Because Of The Affordable Care Act.” (“President pushes ObamaCare despite double-digit rate hikes,” Fox News, 10/20/16)

According To The CBO, ObamaCare Cuts $802 Billion From Medicare Over The 2016-2025 Period. “The ACA made numerous changes to payment rules and rates for Medicare and Medicaid, and it made other changes to certain other federal health programs as well. On net, CBO estimates, repealing those provisions would increase direct federal spending by $879 billion over the 2016–2025 period, mostly because of changes in spending for Medicare, which would rise by an estimated $802 billion (see Table 4).” (“Budgetary and Economic Effects of Repealing the Affordable Care Act,” Congressional Budget Office, June 2015)