Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are co-sponsoring a measure known as the “If You Like Your Health Plan, You Can Keep It Act.”  During the debate over Obamacare, the president and others in the administration repeatedly claimed, “if you like your health insurance, you will be able to keep it.”   Reports now indicate that keeping an existing plan may not be possible for millions of Americans comfortable with their policies, due to cancellation notices from health insurance providers under the new health care law.  Obamacare regulations effectively nullify the grandfathering protection for existing plans widely touted by the administration during the congressional debates.  Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) is the bill’s primary sponsor.

“Millions of Americans were misled by the administration in that if they liked their current health care coverage, they would be able to keep it,” said Crapo.  “For many Americans, that is not the case.  Obamacare regulations require that certain plans provide a different coverage package even if an individual does not need or want it.  Idahoans are now learning that the flawed health care law will force them to change their plans and, in many cases, pay higher premiums.  While this law was sold on the premise of providing health care coverage for the uninsured, it is seemingly creating new uninsured Americans who will be forced to enter the troubled federal health care exchanges.”

“President Obama promised the American people time and time again that if they liked their current health insurance plan they could keep it,” said Risch.  “That promise was false. Millions of Americans have since received cancelation notices and millions more will.  The American people should have the freedom to keep the insurance plan they have chosen and which was promised they could keep.”

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act permits policies in effect as of March 23, 2010, to be grandfathered into the current system, even if the plan does not meet the law’s minimum coverage requirements. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has narrowly drawn the interpretation such that if any part of a policy was significantly changed since that March date, the policy would not be protected. 

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