In Friday news dump, Maryland announces its ACA enrollment totals — 96% Medicaid

Conservative Intel ^ | 10/25/13 | David Freddoso

[The Old Hoosier]

I can’t tell exactly when Maryland’s health benefit exchange posted its new numbers, but it appears to be no earlier than late this afternoon — perfect timing...

[Mike Darancette]

Are more people eligible than used to be?

Yes, and that is one of the things that Obamacare did to states stupid enough to agree.

[CPT Clay]

Bump

[Rusty0604]

I understand and agree with the States that didn’t expand Medicaid. But everyone has to pay the taxes for the expansion so those States the citizens) are funding all those thousands that are signing up in the States that did the expansion.

[steve86]

There’s no way this can work. NY, KY and WA all very similar.

Actually, Washington data as of Oct 21st is:

4,500 completed enrollments for exchange policies (non-Medicaid), first premium payment paid

56,000 completed enrollments for exchange policies (non-Medicaid), awaiting first premium payment, due in December

30,000 completed enrollments for Medicaid

Numbers are somewhat imprecise because of mixed applications (a family including both Medicaid and non-Medicaid).

[Stingray]

“...the FSA (Free Sh&t Army)”

LOL! Love it!!!

[pepsionice]

There are three consequences, which you ought to start thinking on.

1. If the majority of new signees are drifting toward Medicaid....instead of insurance companies....it simply inflates the cost of taking in the sick folks onto regular health insurance. By late January, the numbers will be in, and the insurance companies will be mailing out the new quotes for 2015 by mid-Jun to mid-Jul. You can assume that all regular health insurance folks will be paying 40-percent or more extra....than they did in 2014. Depending on your state and company...it might even be 200-percent more. So if you were paying $7500 for a family policy in 2014...you could wake up to find it near $9000 per year in 2015. Where does the money come from, and where do you cut in your family budget?

2. Massive Medicaid costs were kinda expected....maybe not to this level....but the federal and state government figured something would occur in a upward motion. The general issue is that the feds merely signed up for a limited period to cover the costs. The states, in a naive way (if they went along with the plan), figured that costs would settle, and eventually the federal government would revisit this and just give them more money down the line. If they don’t....then states in this massive budget crunch....figure five to ten years from now...will have to invent a massive sales tax or wealth tax...cover bills. Somewhere around 2023, I’d expect California to have a sixteen-percent sales tax, and everyone will be furious over the increase. Nothing is free....just so we all grasp this principal in life.

3. Finally, NO insurance company in America is going bankrupt over any of this mess. If you look at folks signing up for health insurance....all are finding new and higher deductibles...which you pay the first 4,000 or 5,000 dollars, on top of the $7500 you paid for insurance itself. The companies have gimmicked the system to make good profits. I’d strongly advise you gaze at the top dozen health insurance companies and their stock price....buy into them....enjoy the dividends for 2014, and expect most all of them to double in price by spring/summer of 2015. If you wanted to bet on a sure thing and make great profits on stock....invest alway on health insurance companies. Note, if they suddenly issue an extension for a year....all bets are off and it’d be the wrong time to make this investment. My bet is not extension....they are too deep into the mess and the media can’t explain the change unless they admit Cruz was right.

It is chaotic right now, and you can’t see any end-game...that’s the sad part about this entire story. I would expect chaos to continue through the end of 2016. It’s normal business now.

[InterceptPoint]

I understand and agree with the States that didn’t expand Medicaid. But everyone has to pay the taxes for the expansion so those States (the citizens) are funding all those thousands that are signing up in the States that did the expansion.

Very true.

[MrChips]

So, the people really getting screwed the most are the middle class, people who work for a living, don’t qualify for Medicaid OR subsidies, still too young for Medicare. The whole middle class gets socked with sky-high premiums.

[MrChips]

And if one needs to buy health insurance? Someone like me? What should I do? Buy the lowest deductible I can find? But one that is “HSA compliant”? Buy temporarily and then drop and switch to catastrophic? Move to Canada?

[Jane Long]

Almost everyone is signing up for medicade and only small percentages for private health care policies. There’s no way this can work.

Just wait til the 20M+, newly Amnestied illegals sign up for the Medicaid expansions.

[Mike Darancette]

The whole middle class gets socked with sky-high premiums.

Makes you feel proud don't it? /sarc