Donald Trump, today:
Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that the Obama administration is lying about the size of ObamaCare premium hikes, saying it put out a "phony" number.
The administration on Monday announced that the average premium increase for a benchmark ObamaCare plan will be 25 percent for 2017, a number seized on by Republicans.
But Trump took the line of attack a step farther.
“And the number of 25 percent is nothing,” the GOP presidential nominee told Fox News. “That’s a phony number, too, that’s a lie, just like everything else.”
The 25 percent number comes from a 40-page report released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday. It includes a four page section on its methods, as well as tables breaking down the premium increases by state and county.
Spokespeople for Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request to elaborate on his comments.
Actually, Donald, that's not the original source for "the 25% number". THIS is.
Oh, and if I'm not a reliable enough source for you, how about the Barclays U.S. Health Care-Managed Care 2Q16 Review, which came to the exact same conclusion that I did (remember, Barclays supposedly utilizes international financial services corporation equity researchers for their reports)?
But really, I don't need to wonder whether or not you trust my judgment on this data point. I know you do...because here it is on your very own friggin' campaign website:
Premiums have skyrocketed across the nation, with a national average of almost 25%, with some states experiencing rate increases up to 70%. In Iowa, one plan got a 43% increase approved. In Florida, the individual market will see an average rate increase of 19%. In Pennsylvania, at least three plans requested rate increases over 40%. And the average rate requested in Minnesota is 54%. [ACA Signups], [Health Insurance], [Miami Herald], [Health Insurance]
Just in case you decide to edit the page, here's a screen shot, jackass:
Now, 25% isn't pretty, and yes, some states like Arizona, Minnesota, Tennessee and Oklahoma are indeed looking at rate hikes in the 50-70% range...but others like Rhode Island, North Dakota, Wyoming, DC, Vermont and New Jersey are looking at single digit hikes. It's called a weighted average. You should look into it.