Tinkering can’t save health law

The Affordable Care Act has failed across the board. It needs to be repealed and replaced with targeted reforms.

Many argue we should keep the Affordable Care Act intact because it has provided health insurance for more people. But to what end? Insurance under the ACA is too expensive for most to afford.

Average premiums on the law’s marketplace have soared by double digits since its implementation — including an average 25% hike in 2017. Research from health care economist Stephen Parente shows there is no end in sight for substantial increases going forward. And while the law does provide subsidies, they won’t be able to keep up with these premiums.

Deductibles are even worse. Deductibles on mid- level silver plans average $ 3,572 for indi- viduals in 2017 and $ 7,474 for families. This at a time when 46% of Americans say they cannot afford a $ 400 emergency expense. A report from The New York Times noted that such high deductibles are making ACA plans “all but useless” for many Americans.

Even the ACA- established co- ops — which were designed to offer lower- cost plans — have failed in spectacular fashion. Of the 23 co- ops established under the law, 19 have failed, costing taxpayers nearly $ 1.8 billion so far.

The ACA is not just a struggling law in need of fixes — it has failed across the board. No amount of tinkering around the edges will save it.

The law’s problems all have the same root cause: The ACA tried to impose top- down mandates on a sector of the economy that is inherently based on individual decisions.

It’s time that lawmakers learn from these mistakes and implement targeted reforms providing more choice, lowering cost, and improving quality of care. Repeal is the first step of that plan.