It seems even President Obama’s health-care “success” stories end in disappointment.  During a news conference last month, the President mentioned a single mom in Washington state who had written a letter to him about her new health insurance plan.  Days later, however, the same woman was notified by state officials that her benefits under Obamacare had been miscalculated.  She would no longer be able to afford health insurance coverage.

Unfortunately, similar stories and frustrations continue to emerge across the country.  Individuals and families are worried about how their insurance plans will change and whether they will be able to afford health care at all.  Many Mississippians have contacted my office to inform me about their personal experiences with the law.  Each is a real-life example of the law’s broken promises, from higher premiums and canceled health insurance plans to reduced work hours and layoffs.  As the following stories illustrate, the President’s health-care law is the wrong approach to providing more affordable and more accessible coverage.  Because of Obamacare:

• Mississippi’s job creators are facing additional financial burdens.

A couple in Long Beach who own a small business and have offered their employees the same private insurance plan for more than 20 years say they will suffer a 33 percent increase in premiums on December 1.  The company’s insurer specifically pointed to the health-care law’s mandated coverage, fees, and taxes for the increased premiums.  The group plan will cost the small business an extra $1,500 a month, or $18,000 annually. 

• Mississippians are seeing drastic increases in their health insurance premiums.

A graphic designer from Madison says he was recently informed by his insurance provider that his premiums will more than double at the beginning of the year, rising from $355 to $755.  The health-care law’s requirements for essential benefits such as maternity care and birth control mean that he will pay for services that he will never use as a 58-year-old male.

In addition, a disabled, retired doctor from Vicksburg says he was notified that his family’s insurance premiums will skyrocket in January.  He says the least expensive health-care option for his wife and two teenage children will cost 112 percent more a month than their current plan, even though it offers less coverage.

• Mississippians are opting to pay the penalty because health coverage is unaffordable.

A firefighter from Meridian says he spent hours on HealthCare.gov trying to enroll his family in an insurance plan through the law’s new exchanges.  The least costly option through the exchange was still too exorbitant for him to afford.  Instead, he says he will opt to pay the penalty, leaving his family uninsured.

These are real Americans who are learning that the President’s health-care law does not follow through on what it promised.  It is unacceptable for Mississippians to bear the burden of higher costs and fewer choices because of this disastrous law.  As Republicans have repeatedly insisted, market-driven solutions are a better answer to today’s health-care challenges.

I want to hear from you.  Please continue to contact my office with your experiences and thoughts about the President’s health-care law.