#IWANTREPEAL: Two Years into the Dems’ Healthcare Takeover, Healthcare Costs Rise Faster than Wages

September 12, 2012

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Ron Barber (AZ-08), John Barrow (GA-12), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Ben Chandler (KY-06), David Cicilline (RI-01), Mark Critz (PA-12), Brian Higgins (NY-26), Jim Himes (CT-04), Kathy Hochul (NY-27), Steve Israel (NY-03), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Nita Lowey (NY-17), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike Michaud (ME-02), Bill Owens (NY-21), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Louise Slaughter (NY-25), Betty Sutton (OH-16), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Tim Walz (MN-01)

Two Years into Chandler’s Healthcare Takeover, Healthcare Costs Rise Faster than Wages

Premiums Cut into Family Budgets, Rising More than Twice as Fast as Wages

WASHINGTON — Ben Chandler’s big-government takeover of healthcare has been the law of the land for only two years and working families have seen their healthcare premiums increase, cutting deeper into their monthly budgets. A new study shows annual premiums are increasing, approaching $16,000 per family and outpacing wage inflation by more than double.

“Regardless of what Ben Chandler’s party promised, ObamaCare has increased premiums on middle-class families and small business owners and wage increases haven’t kept up,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “The economy continues to struggle because of the massive burden of ObamaCare and Kentucky voters cannot afford a Washington politician like Chandler who continues to support it.”

Ben Chandler voted to keep his party’s big-government takeover of healthcare. (HR 6079, Roll Call #460, 7/11/2012)

A new study finds that healthcare premiums grew again this year and rose faster than wage inflation:

“Annual premiums for job-based family health insurance went up just 4 percent this year, but that’s no comfort with the price tag approaching $16,000 and rising more than twice as fast as wages.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Premiums for family health plans hit $15,745,” Associated Press, 9/11/2012)

Household income in 2011 was $50,054, a 1.5 percent decline from last year. (“Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011, U.S. Census Bureau, 9/12/2012)

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