Few in NC signing up for Obamacare
Published November 9, 2013
by Katherine Restrepo, The Locker Room, November 8, 2013.
Obamacare supporters project that enrollment numbers will climb significantly once the federal exchange website is fixed, especially towards the end of the enrollment period (which will most likely be unilaterally extended even further if technological problems persist).
Since the pathetic rollout of the health insurance exchanges, the term “enrollment” hasmultiple meanings: visiting the site, creating an account, even cancellations. Rather, enrollment should be defined as the complete and thorough process of an individual creating an account, shopping for coverage and signing up for a health plan on the exchange.
Enrollment numbers have also been inflated as a majority of exchange applicants are Medicaid-eligible. The Advisory Board Company says:
About 90% of Washington’s “completed enrollments” are in Medicaid, with the majority of enrollees newly eligible under the Medicaid expansion that takes effect on Jan. 1.While data isn’t available across all 15 state-based exchanges, it’s a similar story in Minnesota (90% of early enrollment has been in Medicaid and other public programs). And Connecticut officials report that roughly half of all early enrollment through their exchange has been in Medicaid.
To the media knowledge, just one North Carolinian has successfully signed up for a subsidized health plan through healthcare.gov, the federal health insurance exchange website. That person’s required personal information somehow made it through the intricate mess of healthcare.gov’s technological glitches – an amazing feat.
But the premium still has yet to be paid, since the payment option on the government’s serverdoes not work.
WCNC reports that as of October 25th, less than 1,000 individuals have applied for BCBCS NC individual exchange plans.
November 9, 2013 at 8:52 am
Jack Dawsey says:
Ms. Restrepo,
Given the "problems" with Obamacare (insurmountable problems) as you and your republican friends have lamented for 5-years, what have you and your friends recommended as a "fix" to the problems? Moreover, what have you and your friends offered as an alternative to Obamacare? Other than bitching and complaining, what have you, personally, offered in terms of the soaring health care issues in America? Let me guess. Nothing but more bitching.
November 9, 2013 at 9:40 am
Vicky Hutter says:
I wonder if Obamacare will go the way of Congressional legislation of decades ago that said in 10 years the entire country shall be on the metric system? Anyone hear anything about that unworkable legislation in the last 30 years? My hope is that states will say enough--it's the wrong solution to the wrong problems and is not needed and Obamacare will go the way of the demand for conversion to the metric system across the U.S.
November 9, 2013 at 10:15 am
Norm Kelly says:
Just be patient. Two things will be happening soon. First, the government website will be working well enough for people to get through it. (Their information will remain unsecure but the website will work well enough to make it through.) Second, all those people that were FORCED off their private health insurance plans by FEDERAL MANDATE will be forced to find other insurance, so they will be attempting to commit suicide by using the federal website. This will increase the number of people 'enrolling'.
On another note: we 'know' of 1 NC resident who has successfully acquired insurance through the socialized medicine website. And this single person will be acquiring a federally subsidized plan. Is this to be celebrated? If the only people who respond to the threat of law are the ones who will be subsidized by the rest of us, should we really be celebrating this? Where exactly will that money come from? Young people are avoiding obamacare cuz it's a plague. In addition, young people can stay on their parents plan so have no need to apply for a plan that is forced to increase premiums for this group of people by federal mandate.
Isn't it nice of our federal government to implement a plan where premiums are no longer based on reality. My insurance company is no longer allowed to look at my circumstances, my health history, my chosen options, my age to use actuarial tables to determine what my premium should be. Health insurance plans are now DICTATED by bureaucrats in Washington. The FORCED premiums include options I don't want but must pay for. The FORCED premium increases on my plan are designed to help someone else pay an artificially lowered premium. Because their insurance plan is not allowed to look at their personal history either.
The same people who claim they are for the middle class are making sure the premiums of people in the middle class are artificially inflated, reducing the middle class's disposable income even more, just so someone else can pay an artificially decreased premium. All in the name of fairness.
I'm sorry. I skipped illegal drugs in my youth (and haven't changed since leaving youth). This makes no sense to me. Of course, even someone, like Obama, who spent the majority of his youth higher than a kite on (apparently) any illegal substance he could get his hands on, this plan should make no sense. Even a drug addled mind like Obama's can't make the math work on this one. The drug addled mind would realize that this is a stupid plan from its conception.
Liberals need to get a grip on 2 important items. First, socialized medicine has failed every place it's been tried. (Please prove me wrong on this!) Second, conservatives don't hate Obama because he's somewhat black. We don't hate Obama. We HATE Obama's socialist policies. Unlike liberals, we have the ability to separate the person from the policies. I do not like Obama because he is an inexperienced, incompetent, liar. I do not like Obama's policies because he is a socialist and feels free to force that on the rest of us. Based on what's happened since he was anointed, why would I like either him or his policies?
November 9, 2013 at 10:51 am
Sue Schwartz says:
My daughter signed up in the first few days after enrollment opened...I find it hard to believe that she is the only person in the state to have done this.
