We've been keeping you up to date on the latest in Obamacare. We've gone through studies and reports a plenty. The verdict? The Affordable Care Act is still a steaming pile of crap. Also, it's not really affordable. At all (read Surprise! New Report Says 2017 Obamacare Rates to Massively Increase...).

When confronted about its high-priced crappiness, the Obama admin insisted that consumers would be able to shop around. People were told that they'd have choices. That insurers would compete for business by offering cheaper plans. You get cheaper care, and everyone's insured. It's a win-win. Hooray!

Except no. Competition is a perk of something called "the free market." Obamacare has stomped all over the healthcare industry's free market. Insurers are bowing out faster than you can say "not affordable." So those choices? Yeah, you don't get those...

One-third of the United States may have just a single insurer to pick from on Obamacare marketplaces in 2017, an analysis released Friday suggests. Seven entire states are projected to have just one carrier in 2017: Alaska, Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming, according to research by the Avalere consultancy. More than half of the country, 55 percent, may end up having two or fewer insurers to chooses from on those government-run exchanges... "And there may be some sub-region counties where no plans are available," [Avalere said].

Let's take a moment to consider why so many insurance companies are disappearing. Hint: it has to do with the fact that they're losing loads of money...

The findings reflect the effect of announcements this summer that three major insurers - Aetna, UnitedHealth and Humana - will sharply reduce the number of areas where they will sell individual health plans in 2017 due to financial losses on those plans, as well as the failures of most Obamacare co-op insurance plans.

So as it turns out, you don't get choices via Obamacare. You don't get affordability via Obamacare. Aaand you don't get "to keep your doctor" via Obamacare. But hey, you can still go with a private plan. For now. In short, you get to pay more, meanwhile your taxes go to subsidize the premiums of someone else. So in that sense, I suppose it is affordable for someone. Someone who's not you.

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