CBS News' Major Garrett clearly wasn't impressed.
Twitter was similarly unimpressed:
Obamacare: It's the Law...until Decider-in-Chief unilaterally decrees that it's not. #whereareyouGOP
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) November 14, 2013
As I understand it, Obamacare is law of the land and working great and needs to be fixed and is wildly popular and it's the GOP's fault.
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) November 14, 2013
Howard Dean wonders if its even legal.
“This doesn’t change anything other than force insurers to be the political flack jackets for the administration,” one insurance industry insider told Buzzfeed. “So now when we don’t offer these policies the White House can say it’s the insurers doing this and not being flexible.”
The New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters is calling Obama's "fix" a "new insanity."
In a statement, the American Health Insurance Providers trade association cautioned that the so-called "fix" would only make things worse:
Changing the rules after health plans have already met the requirements of the law, Obamacare, could destabilize the market and result in higher premiums for consumers. Premiums have already been set for next year, based on assumptions of when consumers will be transitioning to the marketplaces.If now fewer younger and healthier people choose to purchase health coverage in the exchanges, premiums will increase, and there will be fewer choices for consumers.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners feels like the rug has been pulled out from underneath them:
For three years, state insurance regulators have been working to adapt to the Affordable Care Act in a way that best meets the needs of consumers in each state. We have been particularly concerned about the way the reforms would impact premiums, the solvency of insurance companies, and the overall health of the marketplace. The NAIC has been clear from the beginning that allowing insurers to have different rules for different policies would be detrimental to the overall market and result in higher premiums.We have expressed these concerns with the Administration and are concerned by the President’s announcement today that the federal government would use its “enforcement discretion” to delay enforcement of the ACA’s market reforms in 2014 for plans that are currently in effect. This decision continues different rules for different policies and threatens to undermine the new market, and may lead to higher premiums and market disruptions in 2014 and beyond.
Representing businesses and their employees across the country, the National Association of Manufacturers also signaled its disbelief and frustration:
If we were able to turn back the clock this might be an effective remedy, but the reality is that you can’t unscramble eggs. It’s a band-aid approach that reinforces the fact that at the very least, the Affordable Care Act was and is not nearly ready for primetime.The solution offered today doesn’t fix a fundamentally flawed policy – it doesn’t lower costs and fails to address the difficulties that manufacturers continue to endure just to keep offering health coverage to their employees.
The Heritage Foundation denounced Obama's plan as a violation of law and "a short-term public relations move":
As any follower of Schoolhouse Rock will know, there’s only one institution that can change the law: Congress. President Obama’s “plan” attempts to ignore them entirely. The President’s proposal is but the latest in a long line of waivers and unilateral changes made in a futile attempt to repair an inherently unworkable law.The ultimate “fix” lies with Congress, and it’s a simple one: Undo this unfair, unworkable, andunpopular law that never should have been passed in the first place.
So... did anyone like what the president had to say today?
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson apparently did:
Health reform law was meant to help uninsured get coverage, not cancel policies folks liked. President made the right decision today.
— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) November 14, 2013
As did House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:
Nancy Pelosi on Obamacare fixes: "They'll be worked through and we'll be sailing."
— Chris Moody (@Chris_Moody) November 14, 2013
But, for the most part, folks aren't impressed...
ACA is settled law. Uh, wait a second…okay, now it's settled. Umm, let's change this. Okay now. No, wait…now. No...
— Pat Sajak (@patsajak) November 14, 2013
