Labriola, state GOP chairman, wants Gov. Malloy to re-certify health insurance plans cancelled under the Affordable Care Act

Sensing a chance for some political hay to be harvested, state Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola, Jr. has released a request for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to order the state insurance commissioner to re-certify healthcare plans cancelled by insurance carriers in recent weeks under the federal Affordable Care Act.

From Labriola’s office:

“As a part of the embarrassing display of incompetence that has been the Obamacare rollout, many of Connecticut’s hardworking families learned the hard way that President Obama and other Democrats lied when they pledged that all Americans would be able to keep their existing healthcare plans. While millions have received cancellation letters and are now facing higher costs for less coverage, President Obama and the Democrats still stop short of apologizing for misleading the American people.

“Today the President announced that insurance companies will be temporarily allowed to continue to offer plans that previously didn’t qualify under Obamacare, pending the approval of state insurance commissioners. In the interest of protecting Connecticut from higher healthcare costs, Governor Malloy must act immediately by instructing Connecticut’s insurance commissioner to re-certify those plans without delay.

“President Obama’s remarks today were rich in rhetoric, but short on actual solutions for the millions of Americans who have been stripped of their healthcare and are now facing higher costs. The President knows that this latest ‘fix’ does little more than attempt to shift blame away from his administration and provide political cover—the millions of uninsured Americans deserve better.”

BACKGROUND

Obama Announces Temporary Fix to Cancelled Insurance Plans. “Under the White House’s approach, the Department of Health and Human Services will notify the nation’s state insurance commissioners that they have federal permission to allow consumers who already have such insurance policies to keep them through 2014. It will be up to each state whether to go along.” (Amy Goldstein, “Obama announces change to address health insurance cancellations,” Washington Post, 11/14/2013)”