From the LA Times: As GOP moves toward repeal, a government report shows Obamacare is working well

[Julian Englis]

From a column in the LA Times by Michael Hiltzik:

"New data have been released contradicting Republican propaganda about the “failing” Affordable Care Act. What may be more embarrassing to the hardliners pushing repeal is that it comes from the government, specifically the Department of Health and Human Services.

Under Secretary Tom Price, the department has been a fount of anti-ACA rhetoric. But in an annual report about the ACA’s risk-management provisions issued Friday, Health and Human Services established that the key programs are “working as intended,” protecting insurers from unexpectedly large risks and moderating premiums for consumers.

Not only that, the data “would seem to refute the commonly held belief that the marketplace population is becoming sicker,” observes health economist Timothy Jost, writing in Health Affairs. In fact, according to the figures from 2016 in the latest report, the customer base is getting healthier and the risk pools have been stabilizing.'

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-cms-risk-report-20170703-story.html

[SHRED]

1. Oh those pesky facts

[treestar]

2. This is how the press fails us

Bring that out there - make those with the anti-ACA rhetoric prove their claims.

[Hekate]

4. Um, the LA Times *is* "the press" and Hiltzik s a great consumer advocate columnist with them

How is this an example of the press failing us?

[treestar]

5. I guess I mean CNN and all that

is what gets people talking about things like this. Though of course the deplorables will dismiss it.

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. I agree with you (!)

Why not have at least a whole news day dedicated to this report. On either or both of CNN and MSNBC. Follow it up with guest panels discussing the details. And how this report jives with Republican's efforts to repeal it. Bring on Republicans to try and explain themselves in this regard.

MSM TV news has the power to CREATE news. By that I mean not to invent it, but to highlight and thus make important one story over another. They can choose to just post Trump tweets all day and spend their time rolling their eyes, or actually use these important revelations to help inform the public.

[treestar]

7. Exactly. They could make an all day big deal about it

like they do about some thing or the other every day! When Comey came out with the email report, they were at it all day. When Donald made his pussy grabbing remark, it was all over the video media for a couple of days.

But dog forbid they do it with something of substance like this report.

[Sancho]

3. Does everyone remember that the ACA is a GOP plan...it's Romneycare!?!

The ACA is not a public option, single-payer, or anything like a real progressive health care plan. The ACA is a taste of the magic drug.

The GOP is finding it hard to repeal something that puts guaranteed profits into the hands of private healthcare companies...but they can see that the ACA dangles the carrot in front of the US who will get addicted to the idea of EVERYONE being covered. Obama knew that once the avalanche started, it would be hard to stop.

We'll see what happens. The more people are enrolled, the better the ACA will work. The more "controls" on coverage, the better the ACA will work. The more transparent the costs, the better the ACA will work. The CBO is scoring the reality.