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Feds ask Blue Cross Blue Shield not to release exchange numbers
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead ^ | October 22, 2013 | Kyle Potter, INFORUM

Posted on 10/23/2013 6:53:44 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

FARGO – The Obama administration asked North Dakota’s largest health insurer not to publicize how many people have signed up for health insurance through a new online exchange, a company official says.

During a Monday forum in Fargo for people interested in signing up for coverage via the exchange, James Nichol of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota told the crowd his company received the request from the federal government earlier Monday. Nichol is a consumer sales manager for the company.

Still, a spokeswoman from Blue Cross Blue Shield says about 14 North Dakotans have signed up for coverage since the federal exchange went live Oct. 1. That brings total statewide enrollment to 20 – less than one a day.

Spokeswoman Andrea Dinneen said Tuesday that while Blue Cross generally does not release its internal sales numbers, it has in this case because the problematic rollout of the federal health care exchange is a “unique situation.”

Dinneen said she didn’t have any information about the directive that Nichol referenced Monday night.

An official from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, one of the main the federal agencies handling the federal marketplace, would not directly address questions about the request made of Blue Cross Blue Shield, including whether other insurers were also asked to keep quiet about enrollment.

Representatives from the two other North Dakota companies offering coverage on the federal exchange – Medica and Sanford Health – said they had not received similar directions.

Officials in many of the 14 states that set up their own marketplace, which includes Minnesota, have released some preliminary numbers. Minnesota officials said last week that about 3,700 had begun the process of enrolling for health insurance through the marketplace, called MNsure.

But in North Dakota and the 35 other states that let the federal government take the lead on the exchange, releases from individual insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield are the only avenue to get enrollment figures until federal officials release statistics, likely sometime in mid-November.

The exchanges route health insurance shoppers to providers that offer plans that qualify for the various rules and regulations of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare.

In an interview after the Blue Cross Blue Shield event at the Ramada in Fargo, Nichol said he had no further information about the administration’s instructions Monday.

Medica spokesman Greg Bury said the company had received enrollment files but had not yet verified them and thus did not have an enrollment count.

Sanford had enrolled six customers as of Tuesday, spokesman Darren Huber said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Health/Medicine; Politics
KEYWORDS: bcbs; obamacare; obamafail; obamafraud
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Obama now feels he can dictate to private insurance companies - tell them to withhold information unfavorable to the administration from the American people.
1 posted on 10/23/2013 6:53:44 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Most transparent administration ever.


2 posted on 10/23/2013 6:55:46 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Who knew that one day professional wrestling would be less fake than professional journalism?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I’ll keep saying it...the guillotine.

For ALL Obamadork workers.

Period.

There is no other solution.

And, as a bonus, watching their heads bounce will be sooooooooo pleasing.


3 posted on 10/23/2013 6:56:06 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

This is all Top-Top Secret data....you can’t get ahold of this kind of stuff.

Where’s that Snowden kid? Can we sneak him back into the country for three hours to break into their network and just release everything again?

Can you imagine the Blue Cross Blue Shield Vice-President standing there? Some dopey government trying to contact you and tell you that company privileged data...is also highly valued government data? And he wants you to just stall answering any questions? The first thing I’d say...I want a million-dollar tax credit...signed and on my desk by 6PM, or I release everything.


4 posted on 10/23/2013 6:57:48 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Less filling and TASTES GREAT!


5 posted on 10/23/2013 6:57:54 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Probably illegal to even ask. Unethical at the least. What a guy that Obama is!!

I suppose he has done the same to ALL the insurance brokers.

P.S. Wonder how many of the government insurance helpers are actually in the US...and/or are citizens.

6 posted on 10/23/2013 6:59:36 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; All

How much more of this are we going to take? If this is not stopped soon it will be to late. Folks we are going down at warp speed. Why does Congress continue to allow this crisis to continue, it makes no sense at all!!!!


7 posted on 10/23/2013 7:00:11 AM PDT by seeker41 (take your country back by whatever means necessary)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Every picture tells a story. This one tells many stories.


8 posted on 10/23/2013 7:01:13 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

You know in many ways...

If the Republican’s were smart...the shutdown catastrophe...could be turned into a real win-win for Republicans and the Tea Party.

This was in no way ready to go live for the American public. From defunding this grievous error of a website, with non-background checked navigators, to as demonstrated a darn good reason to delay the whole thing...man this should be low hanging fruit!

A perfect...We told America moment!


9 posted on 10/23/2013 7:02:47 AM PDT by EBH ( The Day of the Patriot has arrived.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

” Blue Cross Blue Shield says about 14 North Dakotans have signed up for coverage...”

It’s the fault of those pesky wascals at Fox News again.


10 posted on 10/23/2013 7:03:01 AM PDT by Captain7seas
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Are we not a dictatorship under King Obama now? And there is no way to stop the communists Democrats and their machine. Even if we get the Senate and keep the House, nothing can be done. Wake up America!

Miss Romney yet?

11 posted on 10/23/2013 7:05:34 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Obama now feels he can dictate to private insurance companies

Of course he does. He can now put them out of business with the stroke of a pen.


12 posted on 10/23/2013 7:06:50 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

And the totally corrupt MSM will go along with this. This is why Obama gets away with all this.

If Bush did this the Left would be apoplectic and the MSM would never end in their condemnation and try to tie it to Haliburton or something.


13 posted on 10/23/2013 7:08:13 AM PDT by Obadiah (I Like Ted.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Surely it can’t be legal to withhold such information form the saps who are paying for this giant fiasco, the U.S. taxpayers.


14 posted on 10/23/2013 7:10:00 AM PDT by txrefugee
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To: Sacajaweau

It’s a request, not an order.

Still we know what happens to those who don’t comply with “requests” from this administration. As in various agencies swooping in. Or maybe the CEO will come home from work one night and find a bullet on the coffee table.

Bunch of thugs.


15 posted on 10/23/2013 7:10:03 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: Da Coyote

When grandma is killed by a death panel, can they be sure the armed grandpa will be civil?

Or should they take out larger life insurance policies?


16 posted on 10/23/2013 7:19:54 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie ("So the minimum plan for obamacare is 100 bucks a month I like you Obama but nigga I'm broke")
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To: txrefugee

Sooner or later, if this impacts their bottom line, they will need to put in an SEC filing about it.


17 posted on 10/23/2013 7:20:06 AM PDT by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
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To: Da Coyote

Looks like 1799 France from here, dude...


18 posted on 10/23/2013 7:21:02 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Most transparent administration ever.

It is the most transparent administration ever. They aren't even trying to hide their communist intentions anymore.

19 posted on 10/23/2013 7:26:35 AM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Play the 'Knockout Game' with someone owning a 9mm and you get what you deserve)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
More transparency in action?? snicker/snicker!

"FARGO – The Obama administration asked North Dakota’s largest health insurer not to publicize how many people have signed up for health insurance through a new online exchange, a company official says. During a Monday forum in Fargo for people interested in signing up for coverage via the exchange, James Nichol of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota told the crowd his company received the request from the federal government earlier Monday. Nichol is a consumer sales manager for the company. Still, a spokeswoman from Blue Cross Blue Shield says about 14 North Dakotans have signed up for coverage... "

Only “hundreds” have been able to sign up for a health care plan at the Obamacare websites. The Wall Street Journal reported:

Okay now we will try the landline # 1-800-318-2596 listed above or 1-800-318-2596 = 1-800-FAU-CKYO.

Inspite of the Daily ObozoScamScare Trainwrecks, the ObozoScamScare Outhouse Band continues to play on:


20 posted on 10/23/2013 7:45:31 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ( Get our troops out of the middle east and let Allah sort out the Islamofascist losers!)
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