3. High Deductibles and Co-Pays

Exchange-based insurance companies also attempt to manage costs by offering policies with high deductibles and co-pays. Ham pointed out the irony here. Prior to Obamacare, she had a high-deductible plan that cost less than her current plan. President Obama referred to such plans as “junk.” But following Obamacare, Ham’s “individual deductible is more than two times the high deductible on [her] old ‘junk.’”

The rise in deductibles hits those with pre-existing conditions the hardest because they regularly incur $5,000 or more in annual medical expenses. Of course, those with pre-existing conditions who are able to afford the high out-of-pocket expenses benefit if they could not obtain insurance before Obamacare. Unfortunately, according to a survey by the Commonwealth Fund, 44 percent of the underinsured (i.e., those with high deductibles or out-of-pocket expenses compared to their income) forego needed medical care.

Hillary Clinton points to this survey to support her proposed “fixes” to the “Affordable” Care Act. She suggests sweetening the law by adding more freebies—requiring insurance companies to cover three sick visits a year with no out-of-pocket expenses. Clinton also wants to limit out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications to $250 per month. However, even the most ardent advocate of Obamacare recognizes that such measures will further increase already too high premiums, leading more to forego insurance.

Repeat again: health insurance does not equate to health care.