How to fix Obamacare with this one amazing trick

[riversedge]

How to fix Obamacare with this one amazing trick

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/obamacare-millennials-parents-plans-236204

Forcing young, mostly healthy Americans off their parents' coverage could help Republicans make good on their promise to salvage the health care system.

By Paul Demko and Adam Cancryn

03/19/17 07:01 AM EDT


One simple way to fix Obamacare is to do something that no one is willing to do: Kick hundreds of thousands of young, mostly healthy Americans off their parents’ coverage.

Obamacare allowed young adults to stay on their parents’ plans until they turn 26. It’s a wildly popular feature and a successful one. The uninsured rate for 18- to 25-year-olds has dropped by more than 50 percent since 2010 — a steeper decline than for any other age group. Taking away this provision of the law — even though it might help stabilize the broader health system — is politically toxic to both Democrats and Republicans because it would antagonize millions of middle-class voters.

The under-26 provision has contributed to one of Obamacare’s biggest flaws: Not enough young, healthy people have signed up for coverage in the law's insurance marketplaces, or exchanges.

That’s translated into financial losses for insurers, big premium spikes and dwindling competition. Those are the problems that Republicans repeatedly cite when they argue that Obamacare is collapsing, and that therefore they have no choice but to take drastic action to salvage the health care system.

Still, the GOP appears poised to keep the under-26 allowance — a decision that undermines its goal of lowering premiums — for fear of the political consequences. .....................



There aren't reliable current figures for how many young adults are on their parents' plans, but estimates have ranged from 2.3 million to 3 million...........................

[Hoyt]

1. Maybe, if you are looking a product specific results as opposed to industry-wide results.

I think up to age 26 or so, parents are probably a bit wiser with things like health coverage.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Better yet, stop health and insurance providers from their price collusion.

and watch Medicaid, Medicare and Obama Care costs drop like a rock.
Too much opposition to that, you say?
Hmmm...wonder who would be against a common sense idea like that.....hmmmm.

[yurbud]

3. it depends on who you are trying to help: people or insurance companies

if you wanted to help people, you'd put the insurance companies out of business, or at least out of the healthcare rationing business.

[area51]

4. +1 n/t