Health care progress in the wrong direction

President Obama took a health care victory lap, celebrating "all the progress that we've made in controlling costs" and portraying the ACA's critics as "false and politically motivated." Then, last Monday, it was announced that Obamacare premiums will soar 25 percent on average next year, and this is "progress" all right, in the wrong direction.

The headlines understate the extent of the trouble. HHS also disclosed premium jumps for a 27-year-old (like myself) buying the second cheapest silver plan in individual states.

Thanks, Mr. President.

In a normal election year, the presidential candidates might debate solutions, but you know. For the time being, perhaps Mr. Obama could show a little more humility when confronted with evidence of his own failures, but you know.

We would have been better served to take the billions of dollars Obamacare has already wasted and give people catastrophic care insurance and put money in a health savings account for their routine medical care.

Young healthy, patients have figured out that the penalty is better than paying a $600 monthly premium to have an $8,000 deductible, thereby paying for something very few of them will ever use.

I am sure that as insurers continue to drop out of the exchanges, the federal government will want to swoop in to save us with a single payer health care system. Then we can all enjoy the lower-cost, lower-quality health care that our friends in Canada and U.K. enjoy.

Kevin Halpin

Bartlett