President Obama Takes Victory Lap After Health Care Sign-Ups Top 7 Million

[uhnope]

Source: ABC

President Obama today heralded more than 7 million sign-ups for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act -- bringing to a close a politically bruising six-month enrollment period and a first major test for his signature legislative achievement.

The 7.1 million who have signed up, the president said in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, "despite several lost weeks out of the gate because of problems with the website."

“Even more folks want to sign up,” he added. “7.1 million – that’s on top of the more than 3 million young adults who gained insurance under this law by staying on their family plan.”

The latest tally represents the total number of Americans who selected health plans through state and federal marketplaces created by the law since Oct. 1.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-takes-victory-lap-health-care-sign-ups/story?id=23146839

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Fortunately the ACA covers RW heads exploding

[thucythucy]

1. Right wing heads exploding

is a pre-existing condition. Even so, under the new law it should be covered!

[calimary]

2. As he should!

As he SHOULD! It'll be interesting to see what the numbers are when the rush is over and we get a final count.

[tularetom]

3. I don't want to piss in anybody's corn flakes

I'm happy that people are signing up for this program but the real test is will it provide quality health care for Americans at affordable prices. We don't know that yet and the results won't be apparent for several years.

Will the regulatory agencies be able to keep the insurance companies greed from undercutting the policies?

When the subsidies expire will people drop the insurance?

And over the long term, will the health of Americans be significantly better as a result of this program?

If the goal is to get people insured, it's off to a pretty good start. If the goal is to get people healthy, it's way too soon to know.

[Brigid]

5. When do the subsidies expire?

Considering how expensive the premiums are without the subsidies, it sounds like people might have to drop their insurance.

[tularetom]

7. Maybe they don't, at least I can't find a date

I know it was talked about in the discussions that preceded the passage of the ACA.

But if they don't the cost of the program will keep going up to keep pace with increases in the cost of insurance. Eventually it will get to the point where more and more Americans are paying for their insurance with federal subsidies, and then we'll be well on the way to single payer.

[pnwmom]

12. They don't expire. And you're right, continuing measures will have to be made

to keep costs down.

[OKNancy]

6. Your subsidy won't "expire" unless you reach 400% of poverty

There is nothing in the law about the subsidy expiring otherwise.

[tularetom]

8. That's scary

As the median income of American families continues to stagnate, and medical costs continue to increase, more and more people will find themselves dependent on the subsidies in order to pay their insurance premium.

Ultimately the bulk of the insurance premiums could be paid by the subsidies. At that point the federal government may as well cut the insurance companies out of the equation and pay the health care providers directly. Viola, we have arrived at single payer by the back door.

If that's the direction we're headed, why not just bite the bullet and do it now?

[OKNancy]

10. One word: Republicans

[pnwmom]

13. Why is being on the road to single-payer "scary"?

And the Rethugs realize this, which is why they've been fighting so hard.

[Brigid]

4. That is fine.

But until everyone is covered, the job is not done.

[quadrature]

9. how many of the 7mil are rollovers?

I never get a straight answer

[pnwmom]

14. There are 9.5 million newly insured, not counting rollovers,

but counting the new people on the exchange, under 26 year olds, and people on Medicaid.

But their definition of already insured includes people on COBRA who are set to lose their insurance anyway, as well as people who had almost worthless policies. And the "rollovers" are in a better position now, because they can't be dropped or be subject to annual or lifetime limits.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obamacare-uninsured-national-20140331,0,5472960.story#axzz2xg7MXvJ8

President Obama's healthcare law, despite a rocky rollout and determined opposition from critics, already has spurred the largest expansion in health coverage in America in half a century, national surveys and enrollment data show.
As the law's initial enrollment period closes, at least 9.5 million previously uninsured people have gained coverage. Some have done so through marketplaces created by the law, some through other private insurance and others through Medicaid, which has expanded under the law in about half the states.

[Cha]

11. I'll get on here and congratulate President Obama for a job well done. Obama and Biden in Rose

Garden..



TOD

Thanks uhnope

[Heather MC]

15. Isn't 7 Million a really low number Considering

How many people are in the US?

Not trying to Piss on the fire of Victory!
I just don't understand why 7 Million is the number, that seems like to low expectation the bare minimum is 7 million.

[quadrature]

16. we won't know the real March'14 numbers for several months

just my 2 cents

[Heather MC]

19. True

Your two cents are appreciated.

[bangpath_root]

17. A well-deserved victory lap

He sure as hell put up with the crap when the Republicans said the ACA was spiraling down the toilet.

It is about time he gets to serve up some crow.

[greatlaurel]

18. He gave a really good speech today.

Glad he spoke up and gave a little shout out for the ACA and to the Dems who got it passed.

[wordpix]

20. thank you, Mr. President, from one who has a "pre-existing condition"

that would have prevented me from getting any coverage, starting Jan. 1.

[TomCADem]

21. I Am Finding Very Few Mentions of this On Cable News

Republicans tried to set this up as some magical touchstone thinking that the federal government would fail to hit this goal, but now they did, and we have relative radio silence.

[uhnope]

22. Yes, the RW media is going full blast undermining it, but the other media is hardly mentioning it

never mind that no one but the prez is actually celebrating it, as we should be