Exchanges See Little Progress on Uninsured

[question everything]

This is the title of the story. I would add: "how to lie with statistics" - a small paperback that was required reading when I took statistics course during my business classes.

It is from the WSJ:

Early signals suggest the majority of the 2.2 million people who sought to enroll in private insurance through new marketplaces through Dec. 28 were previously covered elsewhere, raising questions about how swiftly this part of the health overhaul will be able to make a significant dent in the number of uninsured.

You can read the rest at:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304149404579326992266662838

If you cannot open at the click, copy and paste the title onto google.

Here is why I comment about the statistics:

A former co-worker felt stuck in a dead end job. Compensation was good, benefits were offered, work condition were adequate but the job was dead end. Then came a job offer, with a potential great career path and upward mobility, but no benefits.

So this person simply signed up through the state exchange. Were it not for ACA, such a job offer would have been hard to accept.

This person and the family are part of the statistics of being "previously covered elsewhere," but the real story is different.

[TexasTowelie]

1. One of my friends was in a similar situation.

He was employed with a company for 15 years and was taking salary cutbacks when an opportunity to move into a outside sales rep job became available. He knew that there wouldn't be any other positive developments on the old job, so when he knew that the exchange would open it gave him the leeway to start in a new position. It appears to be a good move since he is happy on the new job, the product he is promoting is selling and he was provided a company truck. However, he would have been reluctant to change jobs without knowing that he could get health insurance through the exchange.

[Freddie]

2. That's exactly why the GOP hates the ACA

You are no longer chained to your job for the insurance.
My daughter is in a similar situation. Married mom, expecting Baby #2 this summer. She's an RN and works 4 nights/week 11-7 at a hospital. The position comes with insurance ($400/month for just herself) but if she dropped to fewer hours she would lose it. Now she plans on taking a float-pool position after baby comes, with a more flexible schedule and more $$/hour but no insurance. She and her husband can get a silver plan on the exchange for both of them, with the subsidy, that would cost less than she pays now to just cover herself.

[question everything]

3. I told the story on their comment section

and you wouldn't believe all the nasty responses which, of course, are completely irrelevant, including "chastising" me for referring to the program as ACA and not Obamacare..