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cal04

(41,505 posts) Tue Dec 31, 2013, 03:58 PM Dec 2013

HHS:More than 2 million covered under Obamacare

Source: CNN

More than 2.1 million Americans have signed up so far for health insurance through federal and state exchanges under Obamacare, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday.

Additionally, 3.9 million people are newly eligible for coverage through expanded Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, she said on a conference call.

The Obamacare enrollment figure is below the target of 3 million originally set by the Obama administration for the end of December, which is halfway through an initial six-month sign-up period.

For the first time, Americans will be required to have health coverage or face a fine.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/31/politics/obamacare/index.html

More than 2 million Americans will start the new year with private health insurance they didn't have before, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday.

"Tomorrow, January 1, will be a new day in healthcare for millions of Americans," Sebelius said. "More than 2.1 million people have enrolled in an insurance plan through the marketplace."

More than 4 million people have also enrolled in Medicaid, Sebelius said, adding that "we expect those numbers will continue to grow over time."

(snip)
For example, she said, beginning Jan. 1, insurers may no longer preclude people from buying insurance because of pre-existing conditions; they may not charge older people much-higher premiums than younger people; they may not charge women more than men; and they must share pricing and benefits information to their consumers in a meaningful way.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/31/hhs-projects-jan-1-insurance-problems-and-successes/4264369/

HHS: 2.1 Million Enrolled In Private Health Plan Under Obamacare
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/hhs-2-1-million-enrolled-in-private-health-plan-under-obamacare

7 replies

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HHS:More than 2 million covered under Obamacare (Original Post) cal04 Dec 2013 OP

I think that the ACA will meet its goal of 7 million by March 31 Gothmog Dec 2013 #1

I wonder if Fox ??? will even report this. Stuart G Dec 2013 #2

Great news but... tjl148 Dec 2013 #3

Speaking as one of those who's insurance was canceled Merlot Dec 2013 #5

+1. That's 6 million new insured. A dent in the 46 million uninsured, but only a start. nt Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2013 #4

only the insurance companies know how many have paid quadrature Dec 2013 #6

My daughter's family is now enrolled, they are saving $400.00 a month with FAR better coverage mikekohr Jan 2014 #7

Gothmog

(145,288 posts)

1. I think that the ACA will meet its goal of 7 million by March 31

Reply to cal04 (Original post)

Tue Dec 31, 2013, 04:11 PM

Dec 2013

This is great news. The original projection was 3 million by this date. Given the problems with the website and the pace of applications, this is a great result. I think that there is a good chance that the 7 million goal will be reached by March 31

Stuart G

(38,427 posts)

2. I wonder if Fox ??? will even report this.

Reply to cal04 (Original post)

Tue Dec 31, 2013, 05:21 PM

Dec 2013

This is great news for us, and for the entire country!!!!!

tjl148

(185 posts)

3. Great news but...

Reply to cal04 (Original post)

Tue Dec 31, 2013, 05:34 PM

Dec 2013

OK, this is VERY good news. But let me troll a bit here. First, how many of those 2.1 million had insurance that was canceled and then enrolled through the ACA? My guess is quite a few - so many of them would have had insurance in 2014 regardless of the ACA. Second, I thought 30 million were uninsured. If that is correct then we still have over 20 million uninsured. What about them? OK, trolling over. Rejoice with those now with insurance.

Merlot

(9,696 posts)

5. Speaking as one of those who's insurance was canceled

Reply to tjl148 (Reply #3)

Tue Dec 31, 2013, 09:15 PM

Dec 2013

I can tell you the policy that was canceled was awful. I was afraid to use it. It was like flushing the premium money down the toilet every month. If I had gotten sick, there was a good chance they would disqualify any charges as preexisting, plus with the extremely high deductible I could still end up broke before any payments kicked in. It was an awful policy designed primarily to get people in the door in anticipation of the ACA. After I had it 3 months the premium went up 30%.

Now I have a policy that I chose on the exchange. It was very easy to see what each policy offered. Without going through an insurance broker and asking a million questions, the process went much smoother. The policy is more expensive, but covers so much more that I will actually get to use some of the benefits now.

If there are 30 million uninsured and by march 7 million are insured, that is over 25% decrease in uninsured Americans. That is major progress - when as anything else improved by 25% that quickly?

And just for the record, I don't even like the ACA - I just recognize it's what we've got right now and it's incrementally better than what we had.

Bernardo de La Paz

(49,002 posts)

4. +1. That's 6 million new insured. A dent in the 46 million uninsured, but only a start. nt

Reply to cal04 (Original post)

Tue Dec 31, 2013, 06:00 PM

Dec 2013

quadrature

(2,049 posts)

6. only the insurance companies know how many have paid

Reply to cal04 (Original post)

Tue Dec 31, 2013, 10:33 PM

Dec 2013

the rest of the story is make believe.

mikekohr

(2,312 posts)

7. My daughter's family is now enrolled, they are saving $400.00 a month with FAR better coverage

Reply to quadrature (Reply #6)

Wed Jan 1, 2014, 09:25 AM

Jan 2014

There is nothing make believe in the PPACA for them. The PPACA is the 1st significant move to universal coverage in 100 years of talking about it. When we get Democratic majorities in the House and Senate (and fillibuster reform) we will move toward single payer nationally.
Short of that, responsibly led states, will move in the direction of Vermont, that will have Medicare for all by 2017.

Republicans were and are on the wrong side of history about Social Security, Medicare, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. That's 3 strikes. The question we have to ask is why are they still in the batter's box?

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