When most people think of Hawaii, they think of luaus, amazing beaches, and eruptions (the volcanic sort, not Van Halen, unfortunately). But Hawaii has recently sparked some other sentiments, as President Obama has decided to begin the new year in the Aloha State after ending 2013 with Politifact's "Lie of the Year."
His lie to the American people, "if you like your health care plan, you can keep it," has wrought havoc on private health insurance for millions of Americans.
With only 2 million federal and state signups for Obamacare so far, the Obama Administration is still at a net loss of 2.7 million insurance plans because of the 4.7 million cancellation notices.
With such tumult occurring within Obamacare, it's no wonder that a new Associated Press poll shows that "70 percent lack confidence in the government's ability 'to make progress on the important problems and issues facing the country in 2014.'"
To accompany President Obama on his Hawaiian vacation, YG Network has launched a new web video, "Aloha!," in order to draw attention to the fact that Obamacare is hurting millions of Americans and to highlight reports that the "Hawaii Obamacare exchange [is] not fiscally sustainable."
The ad does not portray mere "inside-the-beltway" issues -- the problems with Obamacare are rampant and the American people have taken notice. According to a new poll from YG Network, almost six in ten respondents said that Obamacare will raise their health care costs, and more than eight in ten respondents believe that the law will not increase the availability of medical benefits provided by insurance.
As we look to the rest of 2014, it's important to note that these millions of insurance cancellations are on Americans' minds: nearly six in ten respondents said that it will be an important issue this year. And it's not just the cancellations that will hurt hard-working Americans.
Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News recently warned that, "If you're one of the 150 million Americans who get health insurance through your job, prepare to pay more." This is not some tiny subset of the population whose concerns President Obama can merely whisk away with a campaign-style rally. On the contrary, this is a serious problem for millions of American families, and it's exacerbated by the Affordable Care Act.
With a plagued rollout, millions of insurance cancellations, and cost increases for hardworking Americans, President Obama will have lots to think about on that long trip back to Washington.