Posted on 01/26/2014 11:33:08 AM PST by Kaslin
Pop the cork, America! The Obamacare exchanges crossed the three million enrollee threshold late last week, according to an HHS press release hailing the "milestone." Actually, you might want to keep that champagne on ice for the time being. Phil Klein:
About 3 million Americans have now signed up for insurance through President Obama's health care law since the debut of the law's exchanges on Oct. 1, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Friday. HHS did not specify when the exchanges hit the 3 million mark. Department spokeswoman Joanne Peters replied by email: "We hit 3 (million) this week, don’t have an exact date." But there's also an important caveat. HHS still hasn't disclosed how many of those who have selected a plan through the health care law have actually paid for it, which is how insurers typically define enrollment.
Yeah, remember this? The administration doesn't know how many of those Americans who've "selected plans" through Obamacare's exchanges are paid up, and therefore actually covered. Health insurance industry expert Bob Laszewski has reported that non-payment rates could end up somewhere in the 10 to 30 percent range. That means that hundreds of thousands of the "enrollees" being touted by the Obama administration aren't fully enrolled. But for the sake of argument, let's play along with HHS' figures. They say they've signed up three million people as of late January. The law's open enrollment period ends after March 31st (barring yet another delay/extension). Team Obamacare projected that they'd enroll seven million Americans by then. According to their own numbers, they're less than halfway to that goal, with just over two months to go. There's a reason why Kathleen Sebelius is trying to pretend that seven million was never the target they were aiming for. They've also tried to back away from their demographic goals on the composition of risk pools. Their revisionism hasn't impressed or persuaded a top credit rating agency, which just downgraded health insurers due to the pernicious uncertainty and ominous enrollment statistics plaguing the law. Over at the liberal, goalpost-shifting WonkBlog, a writer (evidently rather hungry for any good news) excitedly declares California a success story in all of this. The Weekly Standard's John McCormack rains facts on this wishful parade:
"Wonkbook's Number of the Day: 424,936. That's how many people California enrolled in Obamacare policies between October 1 and December 31," wrote Klein and Soltas. "The goal for the reach [sic] by the end of March is between 487,000 and 696,000 -- and it now looks very much attainable." The WonkBlog report was a bit off: 424,936 is only the number of people who signed up by December 31 and qualified for subsidies. The total number of sign-ups, for both subsidized and unsubsidized plans, was about 500,000. Furthermore, it's inaccurate to call these people "enrollees" because Covered California has refused to say how many paid their first month's premium, which is required to actually be enrolled in a plan.
Those inaccuracies and, um, technicalities aside, the bigger problem with the California success narrative is that the state's enrollment figures are dwarfed by the the number of Californians whose plans were canceled because of Obamacare. As we're seeing across the country, the majority of "new" enrollees under Obamacare were previously insured. McCormack provides this chart that breaks down the numbers:
His conclusion, based on the data:
It's very likely that that fewer than 200,000 of California's 5.5 million uninsured residents (3.3. million of whom are eligible to enter the exchange) signed up for Obamacare by January 1. After spending $1 billion on developing and advertising the exchange in a blue state where views about the law are more favorable than the nation as a whole, is that really a success?
Obamacare supporters may answer that question in the affirmative. The problem for the White House is that there just aren't that many Obamacare supporters in general. A Fox News poll released on Friday showed the law slipping to a new approval low of (36/59). Obamacare is opposed by 64 percent of independents, 57 percent of women, and 59 percent of young voters. A majority of respondents said they expect the law to increase taxes, increase premiums and increase the deficit. Just over one-third said they expect Obamacare to increase their quality of care.
These are Obama regime stats. Anybody dumb enough to buy this? PERIOD?
If you like your ObamaCare stats, you can keep your ObamaCare stats! PERIOD!
3 million more permanent supporters of the Progressive, money-printing, debt-laden, politicized nanny-welfare-state.
The arm thing — interesting gesture ... I think I’ve seen it before ... can’t quite place it ...
The man without a face in Argentina maybe...Fuhrer what’s his name salute!
Their lying again
Name just one ?
Seig Heil Sebelius! Any questions?
The arm thing — interesting gesture ... I think I’ve seen it before ... can’t quite place it ...
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I do notice the smallish mustache and rumor has it her lucky number is 28, which she symbolizes by crossing 4 sevens...
That count must be a doozie.
I got a letter from the mismaladministration telling me that because of my age and being enrolled in the VA System that I am completely covered by the ‘rules’..
Had thought all the way back to Hillary Care that when they opened the VA to all Vets it was to keep them in the ‘system’ without having to use them in the ‘new system’.
So would imagine a lot of the numbers are from VA, Medicare, Medicaid etc etc etc....
Of course when you remember the junkie drawing SSS is considered a benefit and I, after 55+ years of either contributing or donating (all after 1990 I paid 100%) and that is referred to as an entitlement.
English is a great language...parse the words however you decide...
If you don’t like the meaning of on, just change it....
Maybe I missed it, but it seems the number of people shifted to Medicaid isn’t included in these figures.
I bet less than half paid, and ,any of the ones who are paying will stop writhin6 month once they discover the $6k+ deductibles.
She’s almost got it right. Fingers and thumb straighter and together. A little less off to the side from the shoulder. Keep practicing, Kathleen - you’re almost there. (And it’s pronounced S-EE-G, not S-EYE-G.)
if there are 300 Million people in this country, are the obamaCare enrollees the actual 1%?
How many Americans remain uninsured today? Most of the new enrollees already had insurance and were forced into the exchanges.
Are Obamacare signups just like Twitter signups?
Last I looked, that number was well over 9 million people if California, Florida, New York, Illinois, Texas, Ohio and Indiana were counted. There have to be alot more ......
3 million signed up
If you like you plan you can keep it
We are from the government; we are here to help
Check is in the mail
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