A move aimed over potential donor influence. News, aetnas plans to scale back its participation exchanges under the Affordable Care act has at the ealthcare back center of the debate. We start this morning by asking viewers, how would you change the Affordable Care act. We have special lines for this question. Hose insured through the Affordable Care act can call 2027488000. Hose with employerprovided insurance can call 2027488001. You f you are uninsured, can call 2027488002. You can also reach us on social cspanwj twitter, on and also on facebook. Morning. We will get to some of the other during our show as well as our discussion with our guests and our open line segment a little later on but starting today with discussion about the affordable are act after news that aetna, joining some other Healthcare Providers in pulling out of the exchange. We encourage you to join in to this debate, particularly if you one of the by insurance plans that will no exchange. On the in todays wall street journal, of oints out how the issue healthcare and the decision by aetna to pull out is affecting that mpaign trail saying new ry clinton is facing issues on both the left and the right on the Affordable Care act. It says aetna chose the need for competentrun option to with private Insurance Companies or even for single payer for all program as senator Bernie Sanders proposed again this week. At the same time, conservatives aetnas decision shows the law isnt working and should be scrapped. Just today announced that are are dropping out as many of the insurance agencies. Obamacare is a disaster, president ial nominee donald trump said in a rally and this in wisconsin debate is playing out on the news gn trail, as this continues to resonate. And we want your thoughts about this. Start with peter im sorry. E will later be talking to Peter Sullivan of the hill. In fact, i think we have him right now. You there . Guest yes, im here. Host hi. E are talking with Peter Sullivan. He is a reporter with the hill ho covers healthcare and has written about this issue. Peter, thank you for joining us this morning. Having me. S for host explain to us what aetna nnounced and who it will affect. Guest they announced theyre dropping out of some of the the care marketplaces, Affordable Care act marketplaces in 11 states, so they were in 15 and theyre saying next ear, theyre only going to be in four, so dropping out of 11. This affects most people. Most people get their Health Insurance through their jobs or employer and it doesnt affect those people. This is only people in those 11 up on the have signed and only marketplaces if they had aetna basically. O if you had that plan, youre going to have to find a new plan next year. But really, the larger effect is what this says about the health law as a whole, is this a sign are having trouble making money, that policy changes need to be made to the make it work better for insurers . Host and how do you expect, to play out on the hill . From senator heard Bernie Sanders calling for a public option, if not a singlepayer system. How do you expect that to play out . A great thats question. I mean, a lot of people are looking to congress to make some some fixes, to make the law work better. He problem is that, obviously, this is such a politicallycharged issue, republicans and democrats are so here that its hard to see how anything is going to happen, at least in the near term. I mean, no one is expecting anything to happen out at least before the election, and then the question next year, are they going to be able to put aside heir differences and do something . I mean, were going to have to wait and see on that. Okay, and you write in your piece on one of your this on the hill about issue that the decision specifically by aetna to pull obamacare supporters, you argue that the announcement is a sign of broader problems with the law but instead a irect result of the administration suing the to lock the companys proposed merger with humana. Can you talk a little bit about that . Guest yes, so thats definitely the line from Democrat Supporters of the law, of saying yeah, dont draw broad conclusions. This doesnt show obamacare is in trouble. They point to this decision by the Justice Department last in july, to sue to block with s proposed merger sayher insurer, humana, and basically aetna got mad at the Obama Administration after their got blocked and they just say, oh, were not going to articipate in your health law anymore. And so did this. Of it whichher side ays maybe aetna was just playing nice and participating more than they wanted to before the hopes that it would please the administration, so theyd approve the merger, and once they saw that it wasnt going to go through, they said, okay, well tell you the truth. So, i mean, no one really knows. You have to figure out what the full and we dont have 100 evidence of any of this, but that merger decision is part of it. How can you explain a little bit for our viewers exactly how the Healthcare System is supposed to work and how might the of aetna and other insurers affect that process . Sure. so the example that president that supporters sometimes give is expedia, travelocity, one of those web sites where you can buy a plane something, its supposed to work like that, but this time youre buying Health Insurance. And compare on different plans, their prices, what they cover, different about them. Ns and then you can select the one for you. St so thats how its supposed to it does works how in a lot of places. The problem with aetnas and with other decisions by other insurers ecently is that that cuts down on the choices. So in a lot of in five states going to, theres only be one insurer. So its like youre trying to buy a plane ticket and theres airline to buy from, so theres no competition, and that higher. Ke the price and that cuts down on the number of choices that you have. Host okay, were talking to eter sullivan on the hill, a reporter to cover aetnas plan to scale back its participation exchanges thcare under the affordable healthcare marketplaces. Peter, it shows here im looking at a Research Center healthcare ows that is a top issue among voters. 4 issue among voters in the 2016 election. You expect this to play out in a president ial Election Year . Its interesting that, you know, obamacare is politically charged issue, but so far, it hasnt een a huge issue on the campaign trail at least compared to previous years, 2010, of year , not a president ial but that was right after it passed, and that was a huge and democrats lost a lot of seats. As bigar, it hasnt been of an issue. Of course, donald trump says he wants to repeal it. She wants nton says to keep it and build on it. That this ssible aetna news could make it a bigger issue. Ts kind of resurfaced obamacare more in the news, and pointed some to the news as an indication of law. Lems with the so well have to see whether it kind of bubbles up. Its been kind of an unusual residential year, so obamacare hasnt been the number 1 issue, this s possible that aetna decision could kind of up in the ranks host host okay. Peter sullivan with the hill talking about the decision to scale back aetnas participation changes. Alth thank you for joining us this morning. Me. T thanks for having host and we want to hear from our viewers about this issue. We have special lines, those insurance through the federal healthcare changes can call 2027488000. Employer provided insurance can call 2027488001. Uninsured viewers can call 2027488002 and were of icularly interested, course, to hear from any viewer the s directly affected by decision by aetna or any of the other insurers to end their participation. We have david calls in from new empl , maryland, with employerprovided coverage. Avid, how would you change the Affordable Care act . Caller well, i think you could solve two problems with one include t would be to medicare as an option in all the Healthcare Exchanges. To get allow people into medicare at an earlier age but have to pay into it, which actually help prop up medicare financially, and it broaden the power of medicare to where more doctors in it, drive ate the price of the prescription drugs under medicare down as you participation and more buying power, and i think medicare has been proven to be most Affordable MedicalDelivery System in the country. It provides more care for less other system we have. Greathink that would be a option in Healthcare Exchanges. Host okay, and it sounds that formerthe plan secretary of state clintons proposal. Embracing at least a public option to be affordable Healthcare Plan that would compete with private insurers. What you want or would you like to see a broader of medicare . Caller well, i think medicare should be a public option and it something a people under 65 pay into like a normal insurance program. Same gain, if i paid the price for medicare that i paid for my employer for private insurance and when i say employerprovided, i still pay for it then id actually be medicare than the Delivery System costs, and theyd be actually making money me, which would be helping support medicare as a whole. Host okay. Lets take a look at a little bit about what Hillary Clinton public option on the campaign trail. Hillary clinton ive also said and improve the Affordable Care act and for me, that includes giving americans of a ry state the choice public option Health Insurance help everybody afford coverage. It will strengthen competition drive down costs. Now, these are all causes ive for decades, and i believe they point to a fundamental truth about our economy. It can seem like a zero sum when job, re competing for a promotion or a contract, if someone wins and someone loses, not the full picture. If you step back, youll all see together. N this host and a little bit more about former secretary of state in thes support of that days wall street journal. It says in february, the clinton added to her ly web site the statement supporting a public option. Mentioned the matter until july when she reaffirmed to position after talks support from Bernie Sanders after the primary, but advisors ay her support for the idea is genuine. Up next from our viewers, we from rica calling in somerset, new jersey, and you acaprovided insurance. Good morning, erica. Caller good morning. Would you like to see the Affordable Care act change . Im not sure. Its probably very complicated. To me that somethings not right when i have the same insurance now and premium is over 900 a and it was about 500 a same before for the exact coverage. Host before what . Made that coverage change . Through the it aca. Host but before, did you get it employer . R caller i estimated my income if my income is a little bit higher than what i estimated, 400amonth subsidy. The actually premium is over 900 for the same coverage that i used to pay in the open market same Insurance Company month, and it requires a 400amonth subsidy me the same coverage that i used to have at approximately the same price for it. Sed to pay host erica, would you like to subsidy mount of the increase or the eligibility of the subsidy to increase . One solution that some have proposed. Caller well, im wondering whether theyre taking money from middleincome people like help the poor people and not taking money from wealthier people to help the poor people. , but it to do my part eems to me that if im paying 400 a month more for the same that i used to get for month, and that the only way i can keep the premium at is to make before about 30something thousand year. Rs a and then if i go above 40,000 a pay im going to have to 4 5,000 back to the government, that theyre the numbers wrong not and theyre theyre certainly not getting savings. Host okay. Oday in the new york times, olumnist paul talks about the healthcare law in a piece called obamaca bump. Are hits a he said theres a fix for the system and says it would be quite easy to fix the system. It seems clear subsidies for purchasing insurance and in some insurers themselves should be somewhat bigger, an affordable proposition, given that the program so far has come under budget and easily justified now that we know just our fellow ny of citizens needed coverage. Point that was made today in pauls column in new york times. Up next, we have brenda. Brenda is calling in from virginia. G, brenda, how would you change the Affordable Care act . Caller good morning, cspan. Now, ive watched the hearings rom top to finish when the Affordable Care act was being debated. To in addition to half the lies that were told, it didnt seem like from the Insurance Companies. Now, the Affordable Care act afford care. What it does is afford nsurance, and Insurance Companies have a stranglehold on healthcare in this country. Not right. The Insurance Companies and they are in my should not be making money off of peoples health. Host can i ask you this you have medicare coverage. You satisfied with the level of coverage that you get and do you think medicare should be expanded . I dont even use it. I use aca and i use tricare for life. When i was employed i had insurance as a supplement to employer, andh my the premiums jumped every year, 40 every single year until i decided i didnt need it. Id rather go ahead and pay the or whatever it is. I dont know about the copays, but the deductible. To go ahead and use my tricare prime and get out of the private Insurance Companies, because what happens is the Insurance Company youre in the sick, your oure Insurance Company tell the doctors to discharge you because you know youre not well, the doctors know youre not well, but the company says youre well. So i would like to see insurance ompanies out of the healthcare business in the first place. We pay our premiums into a all system and get the Insurance Companies out of there. Nobody should be making money of somebody elses suffering doing l theyre doing is the paperwork. Host okay. Dandra next, we have calling in from bluntville, tennessee. The ave insurance through Healthcare System, the federal Healthcare Exchange. Federald you change the healthcare act . Caller well, first, i would it to where the overnment could negotiate the drug prices and so the patients cancer or some bad a disease, that their medicines wouldnt cost so much, and there are some people i know out of the country to get their medicine. Can get the same medicines out of canada or some country, i feel sure that get their medicine right out of the united states. Host let me ask you this. You seen the cost of your change under your insurance through the Healthcare Exchange . Caller yes, one of my medicines 2800 a month. To and so and it was over 100 a pill. And so my insurance just cut that off. I had about three medicines that they just quit, because i on social security, and i have a low income, and so medicines would just higher than they were couldg to pay, my doctors not negotiate to even get it, so i just do without it. And host can i just ask you one more question is this an issue to you in the t Election Year . Is it helping is it one to voten who you choose for in november . Caller yes. Im a registered democrat, and i am going to vote for donald and im going to try to people ive been talking to other people, and there needs to be a change. I want to e thing say. In the aca and ive government gotten loans so i could go to college nd i graduated, and i got a double degree in two majors, one f english and one in psychology, and it is in the aca loan, a student gets a they cannot buy a house, and hey cannot renegotiate the price. They have to pay 8 1 2 for the the college loan in the aca, and then they can not ever that house until they get loan paid off, and i think its a crying shame. Host lets take a look at what said about the ederal healthcare law on the campaign stop. Donald trump because we have to straighten out healthcare, obamacare is going to be and replaced. [cheering] did you see whats happening with obamacare . You see where the numbers going up 30, 40, 50 . 1, theyre trying to delay it. Youre going to get increases, robably the likes of which no country, nobody has ever seen. Anybody in the history of texas, going shield,blue cross, blue they just had almost a 50 premiums. N their but the deductibles are so high, one unless you get hit by of those General Electric and you live for like a long time prior to death, able to use ever be your healthcare, the healthcare, happened. Eres whats heres whats happened. The deductible is so high you never get to use it. Youre spending money. Your raise is by 17, 18, 19 but going to go really bad. Really bad. Its own g to die of voelition but we have to kill it first. Host thats donald trump in erie, ast week pennsylvania about the healthcare law plan which he lans to repeal if he is elected. Up next, were talking to merrill from bowie, maryland. Aca insured, merrill. How would you like to see the change . E care act caller hi, good morning. Do, cspan. Hat you with respect to improving the all, i do believe that the it should be increased. I say that because we are all in this together. And one of the things i think