Warren: Fix “Bad Rollout” But Stay Course on Obamacare
As President Obama prepares to visit Massachusetts this week to defend his signature health care reform law, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the president’s administration “dropped the ball” on the rollout of the federal exchange website, but added that the Affordable Care Act offers a “good product” and expressed confidence the web problems would be fixed.
“Getting people in is crucial. I know that’s why it’s so deeply upsetting that the government just dropped the ball on getting the website launched, but the answer is ‘Double down and get it fixed,’” Warren said. “Get it fixed and get people in the door.”
Warren did not directly address whether the Obama administration should delay the individual mandate to purchase health care because of the technical problems with signing up, despite calls from Democrats, including New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, to push back the March 31 deadline for citizens to have health insurance.
The senator’s office did not respond to questions posed by the news service after her speech about whether she would support a delay in the mandate to purchase insurance.
“Right now, the bad rollout is obviously making a huge difference. There are families who can’t get the health insurance that they want. But it looks like progress is being made. We’ll just see how long it takes,” Warren said Monday after speaking with business leaders at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Warren agreed with Tufts Health Plan CEO James Roosevelt, who said delaying the individual mandate could shrink the pool of insurance subscribers and “undercut” the ability of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to make health care affordable. In Massachusetts, the state operates its own exchange and is not relying on the federal website.
Warren said, “We need some real accountability for what’s gone wrong, but we also need to remember it’s a good thing that’s being offered here. It’s health insurance and it’s health insurance now that’s available to everyone, no pre-existing conditions. It’s health insurance that doesn’t have caps on it so if you get really sick you’re still covered. In other words, it’s a good product, we’re just having trouble getting it rolled out and available to people.”
Obama will be at Faneuil Hall on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the ACA, visiting the same site where former Gov. Mitt Romney signed the 2006 health care access law that became a model for the ACA. Warren said once people are signed up for coverage under the federal law and begin to realize the benefits, Congressional lawmakers will have the ability to debate ways to improve the law, rather than just fight over repeal.
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