Sebelius: Health law has lowered costs, slowed premium hikes

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday that President Obama's healthcare law has helped keep costs under control while providing new benefits to millions of Americans.

The number of double-digit increases in healthcare premiums has dropped significantly in the three years since Obama signed the law, she said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"What we're seeing is costs really come down for the first time in a very ling time," Sebelius said. "Medicare costs are significantly lower than they were."

Greater access to preventive medicine will help lower costs further once the law is fully in place next year, Sebelius said as she touted the law ahead of its third anniversary Saturday.

"We know insurance coverage makes a big difference in terms of overall health care and preventive care and cost," Sebelius said.

Sebelius acknowledged that "there's still some misunderstanding" about the healthcare law, but highlighted new insurance exchanges set to come online in October.

"For the first time ever, people who are uninsured because of cost, and a lot of people who are buying insurance on their own and a lot of small-business owners will finally be part of insurance plans that have to compete side by side," Sebelius said.

---