Despite Presidential Assurances, Some Health Policies Canceled

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- As President Barack Obama pushed his Affordable Care Act, he often said this: "If you like your doctor or health care plan, you can keep it."

Well, not so fast.

"Did the President lie?" KDKA political editor Jon Delano asked Dr. Julie Donahue at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

"No," she responded. "I think we're experiencing a minimal amount of disruption in what is a major reform to the health care system."

But that disruption includes insurance companies cancelling individual policies to people in every state, perhaps totaling 2 million individuals.

So who are these individuals whose insurance policies are being canceled?

Turns out they are individuals not insured like most Americans through their employers with a group policy. Consequently, the insurance policies that they currently have are not up to the new federal standards.

"It's about 5 percent of people nationally under the age of 65," said Donahue.

Donahue says those canceled policies don't offer the medical services required by the ACA on Jan. 1, including hospitalization, emergency services, ambulatory care, maternity and newborn care, pediatric services, mental health, rehabilitative services, lab services, prescription drug, and wellness care.

She says if a policy is canceled, check with the insurer to see if they have a compliant plan or check out www.healthcare.gov where, she noted, "Many people would be eligible for subsidies so that their premium would be lower."

But cancellation despite the President's words gives new ammo to the critics of Obamacare.

"The idea that the federal government is going to provide health insurance to every American and write all the rules defies any, any sense," said House Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday.

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