JW Nationwide Search Reveals Massive Health Insurance Policy Cancellations Resulting from Obamacare Mandates -- By Judicial Watch

State Records Show Insurance Company Cancellation Notices Specifically Cite ACA Requirements as Central Factor in Decision      


Judicial Watch today released state records revealing high numbers of policy cancellations as a direct result of requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Statements in the records, which include filings by health insurance companies with state regulators, directly contradict claims by the Obama administration and its allies that Obamacare was not responsible for Americans losing health insurance coverage. These new records were obtained as part of a nationwide Judicial Watch investigation to assess the damage wrought by Obamacare to the insurance marketplace.

The state records came in response to Judicial Watch public record requests sent to each state’s insurance division, seeking the following:

The number of group and non-group comprehensive (major medical) health insurance policies for which the [STATE INSURANCE DIVISION] has received notice or report of the carrier canceling or non-renewing, or intending to cancel or non-renew, such policies, and for which the coverage termination date is after June 3, 2013, along with the number of individuals covered by such policies as of the policy termination dates.

According to those states that have responded to date, hundreds of thousands of formerly insured individuals have had their insurance policies cancelled or non-renewed due to Obamacare mandates. Contradicting claims by the White House and leading congressional Democrats, the records obtained by Judicial Watch reveal that many insurance carriers specifically cite the new requirements of the ACA as a central factor in their decision, and even inform their policyholders as much.  Typical of such notifications were the following from Oregon, where at least 145,000 individuals will lose health insurance coverage:

• New York Life Insurance Company informed Oregon’s Insurance Division that it was discontinuing a group health insurance plan offered to an association and provided a sample letter to policyholders, notifying them of the cancellation, with the following language:

“The decision to exit the medical care marketplace was not an easy one but the evolving market conditions in the health insurance industry under Health Care Reform laws and regulations which are named Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (‘PPACA’) prevent us from continuing to offer competitive medical insurance for association plans such as yours. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding the actions described in this letter.”

• Another health insurance provider in Oregon, Moda Health Plan, informed the state that it was exiting the individual health insurance market there, and provided a sample letter to policyholders that contained this language:

“We’re happy you chose Moda Health, and we want you to stick with us as healthcare laws change. As part of the Affordable Care Act implementation in Oregon, all of our individual and family health plans will be discontinued. That means you’ll have to enroll in a new plan. But don’t worry! We have some great choices.”

(Click link below to read more)
READ MORE Sphere: Related Content