Politics

Martha McSally Says ObamaCare Has Failed To Actually Cover People With Pre-Existing Conditions In Arizona

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Arizona GOP Senate candidate Martha McSally said on “America’s Newsroom” Wednesday that Obamacare has failed to help patients with pre-existing conditions in her state because premiums are still too high.

McSally accused her Democratic opponent Kyrsten Sinema of spreading lies and using fear tactics to distort Republican views on health care, saying she supports coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions.

“[Sinema’s] using fear tactics like we’re seeing all over the country,” McSally said. “It’s a flat-out lie. I am passionate to protect people with pre-existing conditions and I voted to protect people with pre-existing conditions.”

Obamacare covers patients with pre-existing conditions, but premiums and deductibles have been on the rise in Arizona and the increase has priced certain patients out of the market.

Over the first three years of Obamacare, Arizona premiums increased by 55 percent, according to The Heritage Foundation. The same article said Arizona has seen an 82 percent drop in insurers offered on the exchange, which will limit choice and price variation.

“The reality is right now under Obamacare, there are people in Arizona, I meet them every single day, who don’t have health insurance with pre-existing conditions because Obamacare has failed,” she continued. “The costs are too high. There’s only one choice in 14 to 15 counties … deductibles and premiums, the networks are too small. It’s not working.”

McSally said the government has to switch gears and give more power to the states so they can expand their options and help bring down high costs.

“We need to go to a different approach, where there’s more options, there’s more flexibility at the state level that broadens coverage … brings down costs so people get the insurance that they need while protecting people with pre-existing conditions,” she said. “They have nothing else to run on, so they’re using fear.”

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