Posted on 03/31/2014 4:24:24 AM PDT by Liz
After six tumultuous months, open enrollment on the new Obamacare marketplaces comes to a close. Once enrollment is over, a look at the marketplaces will give the nation a better picture of how well the Affordable Care Act is functioning. It's already perfectly clear, though -- to voters and lawmakers alike -- that the law is a work in progress.
The first few months of open enrollment were disastrous, after HealthCare.gov -- the site that serves as the Obamacare portal for 36 states -- was launched with major technical problems. Still, the administration says it has largely recovered, with more than 6 million Americans enrolling in private insurance as of Thursday.
The public has noticed the improved enrollment process, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released Friday. While just 12 percent of Americans said in December that the launch of the new marketplaces has gone well, 26 percent say so now.
Obamacare deadline fluid, depending on where you are Obamacare hits enrollment target - sort of
However, just 5 percent say the launch has gone very or extremely well. Moreover, only 26 percent of Americans said they support the Affordable Care Act, while 43 percent are opposed to it. The poll, conducted March 20-24, has a 3.4 percent margin of error.
As many as seven in 10 Americans said in the AP poll that the health law will continue to be implemented but with changes -- 42 percent said the changes would be minor, while 30 percent said they expect to see major changes.
Ahead of the midterm elections, Republicans are still calling for the law's repeal -- some more bluntly than others. Republican Will Brooke, who's running to replace retiring Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., released a campaign video last week in which he literally shoots through a printed-out copy of the Affordable Care Act. His bullets, however, can't fully penetrate the lengthy law. "It looks like we'll have to resort to more extreme measures to get rid of Obamacare and replace it with a market-based solution," Brooke says, throwing the papers into a wood chipper.
Democrats are trying to keep the midterm campaigns focused on the economy, but they've acknowledged they can't ignore the controversy over the Affordable Care Act. Many vulnerable Democrats are backing bills to reform the law.
On Thursday, five Democratic senators and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats put forward a series of bills that would modify the law. For instance, the Expanded Consumer Choice Act would add a new lower cost, high-deductible option to the Obamacare marketplaces called the "Copper Plan." Currently, the marketplaces include Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze options. The six senators backing the reforms are Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La.; Mark Begich, D-Alaska; Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Angus King, Ind.-Maine; and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
Even the Obama administration has acknowledged the law is a work in progress, making several adjustments to the new rules. Last week, for instance, administration officials announced that they would allow people to finish the Obamacare enrollment process on HealthCare.gov past March 31, so long as they initiated the process before the deadline. Some states running their own Obamacare marketplaces have decided to follow suit, but others have not.
In the meantime, the administration has been engaged in a last-minute push to get people enrolled ahead of the deadline. Some efforts -- such as a Buzzfeed "listicle" called "7 Reasons Why Vice President Biden Thinks You Should Get Covered By March 31" -- have been directed specifically at young adults, a key demographic.
Other efforts have focused on getting people to enroll in certain key states with large potential marketplaces. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius attended an enrollment event in the Austin area of Texas on Friday, and on Saturday, she attended an enrollment event in Miami, Fla. .
The GOP supports RomneyCARE and is eager to bring
RomneyCARE to all America.
GOP = DNC = Statism4you4ever
OK I am confused, I thought he extended the deadline it yet AGAIN
Deadline? Sorry, but I always move on whenever I see an O-care article. Are there any freepers that have even tried to get enrolled?
Turns out Obamacare is a vehicle for consolidating Dummycrat power.....w/ a multi-billion dollar slush fund.
The Untraceable $8 Billion ObamaCare PR Budget---truly govt fraud at its finest.
Egged on by Pelosi, no one in Congress told Americans about Section 4002---which mandates an $8B untraceable fund to "promote" Obamacare (apparently b/c Boobamba had so little confidence in his signature legislation).
In 2010 Taxpayers are extorted $500 million, in 2011, $750 million, 2012, $1 billion, 2013, $1.25 billion, 2014, $1.5 billion and in 2015 and on, $2 billion........
Lock-stepping Democrats voted to nationalize 1/6 of the US economy ----
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Q. Why all those O/Care delays and the recent enrolloment extension?
A. Because Sibelius is aiding and abetting Scumocrats to register enrollees as Democrats.....and helping Obama to wire-transfer tax dollars billions.
And remember, taxpayers....once in the hands of the Dummycrat criminal hordes, the tax billions are untraceable.
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ACA SEC. 4002. PREVENTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH FUND.
(a) PURPOSE. It is the purpose of this section to establish a Prevention and Public Health Fund (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Fund’’), to be administered through the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public sector health care costs.
(b) FUNDING.—There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, and appropriated, to the Fund, out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated—
(1) for fiscal year 2010, $500,000,000;
(2) for fiscal year 2011, $750,000,000;
(3) for fiscal year 2012, $1,000,000,000;
(4) for fiscal year 2013, $1,250,000,000;
(5) for fiscal year 2014, $1,500,000,000; and
(6) for fiscal year 2015, and each fiscal year thereafter, $2,000,000,000.
(c) USE OF FUND.—The Secretary shall transfer amounts in the Fund to accounts within the Department of Health and Human Services to increase funding, over the fiscal year 2008 level, for programs authorized by the Public Health Service Act, for prevention, wellness, and public health activities including prevention research and health screenings, such as the Community Transformation grant program, the Education and Outreach Campaign for Preventive Benefits, and immunization programs.
(d) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—The Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of may provide for the transfer of funds in the Fund to eligible activities under this section, subject to subsection (c).
Another idiot government regulation that is now in concrete for no reason.
I remember a story about a woman who always cooked a ham by slicing off part of it and putting it on top. When asked why she said that was how her mother taught her.
When her mother was asked she said that HER mother taught her that way.
When they finally asked gramma why, she said “Because my pot was too small to fit it inside unless I cut it that way”
So, we have a USELESS regulation, and for 9 months out of the year you can't buy health insurance if you want it. Companies do this too, but only to comply with government regs.
Just one of the many reasons Obamacare is stupid.
Another idiot government regulation that is now in concrete for no reason.
I remember a story about a woman who always cooked a ham by slicing off part of it and putting it on top. When asked why she said that was how her mother taught her.
When her mother was asked she said that HER mother taught her that way.
When they finally asked gramma why, she said “Because my pot was too small to fit it inside unless I cut it that way”
So, we have a USELESS regulation, and for 9 months out of the year you can't buy health insurance if you want it. Companies do this too, but only to comply with government regs.
Just one of the many reasons Obamacare is stupid.
Putting aside all the statistics and conflicting numbers, at this critical juncture where some have in fact signed up, is the whole mess sustainable?
Does the revenue from premiums paid in equal the level of the claims paid out? If not, how great is the deficit. The answer of course is no. Not enough money flows in.
America now has a new deficit worry in addition to the usual budget deficit. There is an Obamacare deficit. The recent rise in the total debt ceiling was in some measure necessary to pay the Obamacare deficit.
The deadline is extended indefinitely (without penalty) if you report in the application process that you had trouble completing the application in time. Any excuse is acceptable and no one’s going to verify that you are telling the truth.
So, in essence, there is no deadline at all anymore.
“On Thursday, five Democratic senators and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats put forward a series of bills that would modify the law. For instance, the Expanded Consumer Choice Act would add a new lower cost, high-deductible option to the Obamacare marketplaces called the “Copper Plan.” Currently, the marketplaces include Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze options.”
That tells you how stump stupid the Demoncraps are, they think copper is of lesser value than bronze.
Bronze in mainly copper + tin.
Mmmmmmmm.........n-i-c-e input.
That IS Dummycrat stupidity.
Fascinating piece out there by Democrat strategerist Doug Schoen urging Democrats to admit defeat and campaign on a promise of “fixing” Obamacare.
His article supports things like tort reform and allowing you to buy insurance across state lines that we’ve been screaming about for decades.
Think Barry will buy it? Not a chance!
They should have named the plan zinc or rust.
DUMMYCRATS GET A WAKE-UP CALL Going into Florida few weeks back, Democrats were marching in lockstep, saluting smartly to der leader. Demmies had uniformly decided not to utter a discouraging word about Obama/Care in deference to der leader---but, alas, the DNC pre-approved "fixit" plan flopped bigtime.
Democrats are feeling the sting of the electorate---- voters steaming from broken promises, the disastrous online rollout, hundreds of thousands of policy cancellations, sticker shock over coverage, ruinous deductibles, fleeing doctors, chaotic hospital networks, plus Obama's self-serving changes and delays in the law to make himself look good.
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When Fla Republican David Jolly defeated Dummy Alex Sink, Dem leaders explained away the outcome by arguing that Republicans had a 13-point turnout advantage. But the Dum-Dums failed to mention that PELOSI WAS THE MAGIC VOTE-GETTER --- FOR REPUBLICANS
National Journal reported Repub strategists had measured which messages were most effectively persuading voters to turn in their ballots.
In Jolly's race, Repubs turned to a message—delivered across a variety of digital platforms and email.
The powerful message focused on urging Repubs to vote now or watch Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi move one step closer to reclaiming the speaker's gavel.
zinc or rust-—maybe aluminum foil or wax paper.....LOL.
Mulch...lol
Heh-—mulch-—good one.
Maybe the Silt....or Snot Plan?
LOL.
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