Health premium costs: Hot topic in partisan debate

Just as President Obama and members of his administration assert that health insurance premiums will go down under the health overhaul, GOP lawmakers argue these claims are overstated. Ultimately, how this issue shakes out will be central to the public's perception of the new law.

Politico: Fact Check: Will Insurance Rates Fall?
[How insurance premiums change is] one of the most important questions about the health care law, because it will determine how much of the public thinks about the changes. If they expect their own health care premiums to go down and they don't, Obama could have a tough time winning over a public that's already skeptical. But if the Republicans overstate what health care trends can actually be blamed on the law, they'll lose credibility (Nather, 1/29).

CQ HealthBeat: Obama And Republicans Tussle Over Health Care Law's Premium Costs
The administration says that the law indeed will control costs for consumers and businesses across the board — at the same time it expands access to millions of the uninsured and extends new consumer protections. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a report on Friday morning to drive home the point using, in part, a 2009 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) letter. ... Republicans pushed back on Obama' remarks and on the report (Norman, 1/28).

The Hill: Dems And GOP Go Tit-For-Tat On Healthcare Premiums
The Obama administration released a 13-page report Friday that argues the health care reform law will save families and businesses thousands of dollars, prompting immediate criticism from the GOP (Pecquet, 1/29).

NPR: Administration Says Health Law Will Lower Premiums, But Critics Disagree
Now the administration is back with even more ammunition aimed at silencing critics. A new report attempts to quantify exactly how much individuals and businesses might save once the law is phased in starting in 2014 (Rovner, 1/28).