Democratic Governor Admits Obamacare is not Affordable

Minnesota was a leader in accepting Obamacare in 2010, but now the state’s Democratic governor admits the Affordable Care Act is “no longer affordable for increasing numbers of people.” 

“It’s got some serious blemishes right now and serious deficiencies,” said Governor Mark Dayton on Wednesday.

Dayton is the first Democratic governor to publicly suggest that Obamacare is failing, and it is a positive reflection on his character that he is willing to criticize something he supported just a few years ago. 

Dayton’s comments come just a week after Bill Clinton told a Michigan audience that the Affordable Care Act is the “craziest thing in the world” – a statement he later rescinded in the interest of his wife’s campaign. 

This week, Dayton called on Congress to address rising premiums and market stability, and his words have reignited local Republicans’ efforts to scrap Obama’s toxic healthcare overhaul. 

Minnesota boasted the lowest rates in the nation when ACA policies first went on sale in 2013. In 2017, health insurance shoppers will face premium increases up to 67%. 

This unprecedented rise comes after every major health insurance provider in the state threatened to leave the market entirely at the end of 2016. 

State regulators agree that the individual market is in a “state of emergency,” and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota has already decided to exit.

Minnesota lawmakers are exploring potential fixes that will lower costs and prolong the survival of the individual market, but Dayton insists that the bulk of the problem rests at the federal level.

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration continues to tell us that next year’s increases are a temporary correction that will be offset by tax credits.