Dems offensive play on ObamaCare

The Obama administration is out with new numbers touting consumer savings under the healthcare law, a move that will help boost Democrats’ effort to go on offense on ObamaCare.

Nearly 8 million seniors saved $9.9 billion on prescription drugs because of the Affordable Care Act since the law was enacted in 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Friday.

{mosads}ObamaCare achieves the savings by slowly closing Medicare’s “donut hole,” a gap in coverage that forces beneficiaries to pay the full cost of their medications out of pocket.

As of this year, people on Medicare will pay only 47.5 percent of the cost of brand-name drugs that fall in the coverage gap, according to the Medicare Rights Center. This phase-out will end in 2020, with seniors’ contributions decreasing every year until then.

“For seniors, for people with disabilities, for working families, small-business owners, and the middle class, the Affordable Care Act is working,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in response to the data.

“Americans are enjoying the critical protections and freedoms guaranteed by this law. Moving forward, we will build on the success of the Affordable Care Act as it continues to uphold the promise of ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ for every American.”

The administration also frequently touts the healthcare law as a net plus for Medicare and its beneficiaries.

HHS also reported that in 2013, 37.2 million people with Medicare took advantage of at least one free preventive medical service as a result of ObamaCare. The figure represents an increase from 2012, officials said.

State-by-state Medicare data was circulated among congressional Democrats as the party attempts to use ObamaCare’s fourth birthday to seize control of the narrative surrounding the law.

The final push is a joint effort between the White House and House and Senate “healthcare strike teams” that were assembled after the botched rollout of HealthCare.gov last fall.