Conservatives at the state and national level are pointing to Florida Blue cancelling the policies of 300,000 Floridians due to President Barack Obamas health care law as proof that its failing, while supporters of the federal program plan to hit the Sunshine State this weekend to encourage people to enroll in it.
Earlier this week, news emerged that Florida Blue will be forced to cancel the insurance of 300,000 Florida residents due to mandates included in the law. Republicans pointed to the news and insisted the law was a disaster.
U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., called for a full repeal of the law on Wednesday and mentioned Florida Blue cutting off coverage across the Sunshine State.
President Obama promised repeatedly that if you like your plan, you can keep it, even though he knew that wasnt true and it certainly is proving false for these 300,000 Floridians who are being forced off their plans due to Obamacare, Rooney said. Floridians are seeing their costs go up, theyre losing plans they have and like, and the website at the centerpiece of this failing law is a complete bust. These problems cant be fixed with delays, exemptions or website patches they can only be fixed with a full repeal. I look forward to the day when we have a Senate and president who will help us accomplish that goal.
Appearing on the OReilly Factor on Fox News on Tuesday night to promote his proposal to delay financial penalties on Americans who do not have health insurance, due to the continued technical problems on the federal programs website, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also noted the Florida Blue cancellations.
The issue of Obamacare is about a much broader agenda to inject more government control over our lives and over our economy, Rubio said. On this very day in Florida, it was announced that 300,000 people are going to lose their individual coverage because of Obamacare. Now those people next year, they dont have health insurance. They are going to owe the IRS money in the form of a fine. Where are they supposed to go now and buy that health insurance if the website isnt working, if Consumer Reports is telling people to avoid the website? So, what this bill does is, it says basically this: until that website is certified to be functioning, you cannot enforce this on people. Its simply not fair.
At the national level, conservative groups like FreedomWorks pointed toward Florida Blues decision to cancel coverage as proof the law is failing Americans.
While Florida Blue gets ready to inform Floridians they are losing their coverage and to suggest alternative options, Get Covered America will be reaching out to residents of the Sunshine State in the days to come and encouraging them to enroll in the federal health-care program. The group will be launching the Treat Yourself to Coverage Weekend in Florida and nine other states.
Since the health insurance marketplaces opened on Oct. 1, weve seen excitement and determination on the part of Floridians who are eager to learn more about the new options available to them, said Nicholas Duran, who is the Florida state director for Enroll America. This weekend, well have just-the-facts conversations with Floridians to prepare them to enroll in a quality health insurance plan that fits their needs and their budget.
The group has more than 8,000 volunteers and 150 staffers who will be encouraging Floridians and residents of nine other states to enroll in the program this weekend.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
