New Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said Monday that Obamacare is "clearly working."
The government healthcare chief was defiant and insisted she was not interested in "last year's battles," the Washington Examiner reported.
Burwell, in a speech at George Washington University, said that the verdict was in on Obama's signature domestic initiative.
"The Affordable Care Act is clearly working," the HHS chief said. "Healthcare is more affordable for families, businesses and for our economy as [a] whole. Coverage and services are more widely available to more people. Doctors and hospitals are delivering better care to their patients."
Burwell and other Obamacare supporters' celebration of the law's success may be short-sighted.
Data compiled by the Health Research Institute of PricewaterhouseCoopers from about 29 states plus the District of Columbia show that the average premium increase for insurance starting next year is currently 8.2 percent. But within that average, there’s a wide range.
In Arizona, for instance, the average premium increase submitted was 11.2 percent, but rates ranged from a decrease of 23 percent to a spike of 27 percent. In Arkansas, where the average increase was 11.2 percent, some consumers could see their premiums soar by 50 percent.
Despite disagreements over whether Obamacare is "clearly working," Burwell did say the agency needs to improve its transparency.
"Transparency builds trust, and it is something we take very seriously," Burwell said, alluding to recent problems verifying consumers' citizenship status. "Even if the numbers aren’t quite where we want them to be on something, we’re going to tell you about it."