The Enrollments Slowly Trickle In

This morning the Department of Health and Human Services announced that to date 364,682 people have enrolled for healthcare insurance via the healthcare exchanges. Of those 137,000 enrolled via the federal PPACA portal, Healthcare.gov. The balance enrolled through the state exchanges.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that nearly 365,000 individuals have selected plans from the state and federal Marketplaces by the end of November. November alone added more than a quarter million enrollees in state and federal Marketplaces. Enrollment in the federal Marketplace in November was more than four times greater than October’s reported federal enrollment number.

Since October 1, 1.9 million have made it through another critical step, the eligibility process, by applying and receiving an eligibility determination, but have not yet selected a plan. An additional 803,077 were determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in October and November by the Health Insurance Marketplace.

If experience to date is an gauge of those qualifying for Medicaid roughly a third would have qualified under the old rules. That means they’re on the states’ tabs. Relative to the 58 million people Medicaid is already serving that’s not a particularly large number. When you take into account how many states have financial problems, it’s more than one might like.

In order for the people who’ve enrolled via the exchanges actually to be covered by January 1, they’ll need to have made their first payment by, roughly, the end of this week. 7 million people, CBO’s original estimate for how many would enroll via the exchanges, is starting to look like wishful thinking. The number of people formerly insured in the individual policy market now numbers in the millions.

14 comments… add one
  • ... Link

    Nicely phrased, that last sentence.

  • In addition to the individual plans that have already been canceled, scads of small group plans expire as of the end of this month. The waivers granted to the large group plans expire in a couple of months. My guess is that in both of these categories some of the companies will elect to cover their employees under updated and, presumably, more expensive plans. Some will downgrade their plans in an attempt at controlling costs. Some might attempt some sort of cafeteria system. But some will simply stop subsidizing their employees’ healthcare insurance and pay the fine, throwing their employees into the healthcare insurance exchanges.

    IMO we ain’t seen nothing yet.

  • PD Shaw Link

    The numbers in the report don’t add up, but this is the summary:

    3,692,599 = Total Individuals Applied, of which

    2,307,283 = Eligible for Exchange (62%)
    803,077 = Eligible for Medicaid (22%)
    583,473 = Pending Determination (16%)

    Looking closer at those 2,307,283 Eligible for the Exchanges:

    944,531 = Eligible for Subsidies (41%)
    364,682 = Have Selected a Plan (16%)

    What stands out to me are the number of people being directed to the marketplace that are not eligible for subsidies. How many times have we read most people will be eligible for subsidies? Some possible explanations: the eligibility determination is being made in error (either user or government) or the population that is engaged at this point is simply higher income.

    Also, 16% still being processed doesn’t seem very high tech. The precise category is “pending/other” and the explanation makes me wonder if this is really simply unknown or beyond the capabilities of modern science to measure.

  • To add a little complication there are reports that some proportion of those that Healthcare.gov has determined to be eligible for Medicaid aren’t. These people can’t apply through Healthcare.gov (since the site just tells them they’re eligible for Medicaid) and can’t get Medicaid since they’re not actually eligible. However many these people are they’ll need to apply for insurance the old-fashioned way. My guess is that most won’t bother.

  • TastyBits Link

    The payment problem can be easily addressed. For those who are known to have enrolled, a grace period can be provided. The insurance companies are not going to forgo money by cancelling a policy because the government screwed up.

    The Democrats will pass around the hat if necessary. They cannot afford any additional problems.

  • Red Barchetta Link

    I’ve been traveling. Not much time to keep up on things. So I tune in tonight and see an exchange between Sebelius and an IL congressman. She’s claiming certain med services are “free.” He is incredulous.

    I hope this woman is being forced to say this BS by her handlers. Otherwise she is the stupidest or most dishonest mf on the face of the earth. She is setting back the cause of women by decades.

    If I was forced to recite what she is reciting I would resign out of pure self respect on the spot.

    Let me revise my remark. She ain’t that stupid. No one could be. This administration is chock full of bald faced liars.

  • jan Link

    Let me revise my remark. She ain’t that stupid. No one could be. This administration is chock full of bald faced liars.

    A rather long book could be written regarding the lies, fabrications, distortions, contrasted by the rather closed background that comprises Barak Obama. I don’t really think we know who the man is, after all these years. Nor, can we rely on anything he says.

  • jan Link

    …. basically liars attract liars — kind of exemplifies the adage of “birds of a feather flock together.”

  • TastyBits Link

    They are not lying. They are only telling you what you need to hear for your own good. Lying is saying something that is against your own good.

    What the Democrats say is fake but accurate. What the Republicans say is accurate but fake. You will be better off with Obamacare. Hence, Democrats are not lying when they do not tell the truth, but Republicans are lying when they do tell the truth.

    Up is down. Left is right.

  • I think y’all are looking for too much precision. If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? If you don’t pay for it, isn’t it free?

    That somebody has to pay for it is, from their point of view, besides the point.

  • TastyBits Link

    @Dave Schuler

    That somebody has to pay for it is, from their point of view, besides the point.

    I think you nailed it.

  • Red Barchetta Link

    Dave

    If I recall correctly – and I always do – you profess to not be such a cynic.

    The difference in ObamaCare, as opposed to the usual lefty tripe, where, as you point out, you are just stickin’ it to the man, is that The Average Joe is getting a rectal of monumental proportions.

    I haven’t had time to comment on the deductible issue. But this was sold as lower deductibles and premiums, and it is of course no such thing. Throw in security and doctor availability. The proverbial FUBAR. If it wasn’t so serious to people’s lives I’d be rolling in the aisles laughing.

    The Average Joe is getting hosed, not just “the man.”. Welcome to Obama. And they feel it and they will remember. Yes, if you can convince yourself its just the rich getting screwed, then you have the tree in the woods. But Everyman is taking it up the poop shoot. Way different.

    This ain’t that complicated. Obama overplayed his hand.

  • Red Barchetta Link

    PS –

    The Obama Hail Mary clearly will be the race card. How much currency does this still have??

  • PD Shaw Link

    @Tastybits, the insurance companies will certainly allow a grace period to allow its customers to catch-up on late payments . . . unless the customer has made a medical claim in the interim. Its sort of like Las Vegas allowing me to place the bet I forgot to make on the Cardinals to win last year’s World Series.

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