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Ernst Highlights Iowans’ Concerns Over Rising ObamaCare Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the state of health insurance markets, Senator Joni Ernst raised questions and concerns over rising costs of premiums due to ObamaCare’s one-size-fits-all mandates in Iowa, and across the country.

Witnesses included Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart; Lieutenant Governor and Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance State of Ohio, Mary Taylor;  Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance State of Wisconsin, J.P. Wieske; and Commissioner of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner State of Washington Mike Kreidler.

In particular Ernst stressed: “…The stories being shared by our wonderful Iowa families are stories of hardship, and what the ACA has done to their families. We all have very serious concerns about how our families will be able to continue to afford the Affordable Care Act...

“…Iowans and folks across the country have been placed in a situation where they’re attempting to decide, ‘do I pay for my mortgage or do I purchase health insurance?’ and I have heard that time and time again – it’s either a mortgage payment because the insurance costs now are so much more than they were previously. Is it a car payment? Is it a truck payment? Is it a tractor payment? I mean, there are so many considerations that families are now making that they didn’t have to make a number of years ago.”

Senator Ernst also asked about the particular federal policies that are driving the increase of premiums in the state and what reforms are needed to reverse this unsustainable trend.

To watch Senator Ernst’s questioning, click here or the image below.

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