Posted on 11/20/2014 10:39:10 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The Obama administration’s much-touted enrollment figure of 7.3 million includes nearly a half-million people who have only purchased dental plans, the House Oversight Committee has found.
Without the 400,000 people enrolled in dental-only plans, the total enrollment for ObamaCare drops to 6.97 million, according an investigation by the committee, which was first reported by Bloomberg News.
“Instead of offering the public an accurate accounting, the administration engaged in an effort to obscure and downplay the number of dropouts,” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the committee, wrote in a statement to Bloomberg.
Enrollment figures have strayed from the initial 8 million who signed up during the first year of enrollment, as some opted not to pay and were dropped from their plans.
The head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in September that 7.3 million people were paying for coverage, a figure that was largely seen as good news for the administration because it surpassed earlier government estimates.
The Oversight Committee then requested a breakdown of the data and learned that it had included dental plans, though the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had previously reported dental plans separately.
In a May report, the HHS wrote that “to the extent possible, duplication associated with standalone dental plan selection has been removed from the data shown in this table.”
About one-third of people who have bought the dental plans are under the age of 34 — a key demographic for ObamaCare as it looks to balance more costly care for seniors and people with preexisting conditions.
I read before that dental was not part of Obamacare. Did something change?
“....The Oversight Committee then requested a breakdown of the data and learned that it had included dental plans, though the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had previously reported dental plans separately. ...”
Health Care.gov, a federal government website managed by the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, stated the following on its webpage, “Can I Get Dental Coverage in the Marketplace?,” available at healthcare.gov (accessed July 31, 2013):
“Under the health care law, dental insurance is treated differently for adults and children 18 and under.
Dental coverage for children is an essential health benefit. This means it must be available to you either as part of a health plan or as a free-standing plan. This is not the case for adults. Insurers don’t have to offer adult dental coverage…
In the Marketplace, dental coverage will be included in some health plans. You’ll be able to see which plans include dental coverage when you compare them. You’ll also see what the dental benefits are. If a health plan includes dental coverage, you will pay one premium for everything. The premium shown for the plan includes both health and dental coverage…
In some cases separate, stand-alone plans will be offered.”
http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001813
Thanks.
The fact remains - Figures don’t lie but liars can figure.
They moved numbers around to hit that magic 7 million that they said would prove Obamacare (and its broken website) was the best thing since sliced bread.
When they got caught, they stopped doing it.
Wouldn’t surprise me to find a bunch of pet insurance policies counted in there as well... ;)
So, with Obamacare-Dental people will be unable to get relieved of a toothache in a timely manner?
Just a few months ago or so on “The Hill” website I was in a debate with a flaming liberal over this very thing. He kept on calling obamacare a raging success and pointed to the enrollment numbers as proof. I warned him that the administration has a record of cooking the books (census, unemployment, illegal alien deportation, etc) and the enrollment numbers of obamacare was no different.
We kept on going back and forth, him citing the enrollment numbers as proof of the success and popularity of obamacare and me warning him that he is being lied to by the administration because the enrollment numbers are fake.
I also added that sooner or later that the truth will come out and as a result he will come to realize that he has been made a fool of due to him believing obamas enrollment number lies and repeating them as if they were gospel.
He just wouldnt listen to me so I just walked away from our debate, seeing how hopeless it was trying to talk some sense into him.
Well...
WHO IS RIGHT NOW YOU EFFING MORON???????
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