Just days before the government shut down, U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) went before the House of Representatives and announced that he and "thousands of Coloradans" have had their health care plans cancelled because of Obamacare.
"Just a couple weeks ago, despite the president’s promise that if you liked your insurance you could keep it, my family received a letter in the mail that our insurance plan is being cancelled -- cancelled because of the president’s health care bill," Gardner, who opted out of the congressional health insurance plan and uses a private insurer, told KDVR last week. “We were paying about $650 a month for our plan. And the plan that’s most similar to replace it through our current provider goes up by 100 percent more, so it’s from $650 to $1,480.”
But Neil Waldron, the chief marketer for Gardner's insurance provider Rocky Mountain Health Plans told The Colorado Independent that under Obamacare, Gardner would be able to find a comparable plan.
“Probably one of our medal plans would be best. Without knowing particulars, I’d say the cheapest plan available to the congressman would be our Bronze Plan. Looks like that might be in the price range he’s paying now,” Waldron told The Colorado Independent.
CNN's Crossfire host Stephanie Cutter also challenged Gardner on his claim that a comparable plan would push his insurance up by 100 percent.
"I looked up what's happening in Colorado," Cutter said. "Now you make too much money to qualify for the tax credit, but the median income in Colorado is somewhere around $57,000. You make more than that, so a family of four who can get the tax credit, they can buy a silver plan -- which is a very good plan, much better than what's being offered right now -- for $718 with the tax credit that they will be eligible for, they will only pay $388 per month. So why is that a bad deal?"
Gardner, and the House GOP, have voted to defund Obamacare over 40 times.
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