There have been unintended consequences, but Heather Howard explains why the Affordable Care Act has been a success.
By Paul Brubaker | The Backgrounder
Heather Howard, who served as New Jersey's health commissioner in Gov. Jon Corzine's administration, says the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a.k.a. "Obamacare," is working, although she admits there have been some unforeseen side effects.
Heather Howard, the former N.J. health commissioner "It's had a bad impact on debt collection agencies," said Howard on the latest edition of The Backgrounder Podcast. "The number one cause of personal bankruptcy was health care costs."
But what about the recent decision by Aetna, one of the nation's largest coverage providers, to withdrawal from participating in Obamacare in all but four states?
Howard, who has been working throughout the country to help states implement the ACA, explains why such decisions from private insurance companies shouldn't be surprising in a competitive health care marketplace.
She also talks about what it's like to teach at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, her role as an elected Democrat on the Princeton Municipal Council, and what New Jerseyans may not appreciate about her former bosses, Gov. Corzine and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
You can hear the entire interview by simply clicking on the orange play button on the top of this page.
Paul Brubaker, former journalist and congressional spokesman, keeps it real with the people who make New Jersey the most fascinating place on Earth. Check back every week for a new episode of 'The Backgrounder.'