Obamacare sign ups hit 4.2 million

March 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

March 11, 2014
obamacarelogoWashington (AFP) – A further 940,000 Americans registered for President Barack Obama’s health care plans in February, bringing to 4.2 million the number of people who have signed up so far, officials said Tuesday. The White House also geared up for what it said would be “surge of enrollment” for the system, now a malfunctioning website that hampered the key law’s roll out has been fixed, before a March 31 deadline.

“As more Americans are learning just how affordable market place plans can be, more are signing up to get coverage,” said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

The new figures were unveiled on a day that comedy website “Laugh or Die” unveiled a new online video of the president braving the satirical jabs of comedian Zach Galifianakis, to market the plan to the site’s young fans. For the system to work, Obamacare must attract young, healthy registrants who do not claim for big budget care to subsidize older, sicker patients who have also signed up.
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Obama Administration announces latest delay to employer mandate

February 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

February 11, 2014
affordable care actNews that the Obama Administration partially delayed, for a second time, the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate received heavy coverage across media: all three network broadcasts reported, and several major newspapers carried the announcement on their front pages.

On the CBS Evening News (2/10, story 5, 1:20, Pelley), Major Garrett reported that the Obama Administration said Monday businesses with between 50 and 99 employees will get “an extra year to comply” with the ACA’s requirement to provide coverage to its workers. Moreover, businesses with over 100 employees will have to cover “just 70 percent of their full-time employees next year instead of the 95 percent previously required.” With these delays, the full employer mandate is not scheduled to kick in until 2016.
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CMS: ACO pilot program saved Medicare $380 million in 2013

January 31, 2014 By Leave a Comment

January 31, 2014
affordable care actOn Thursday, HHS officials announced savings stemming from the Accountable Care Organizations set up under the Affordable Care Act. Several outlets, –some national papers – cover the news, painting a positive picture of what is seen as a major aspect of the law. USA Today (1/31, Kennedy) reports that, according to CMS, the ACO pilot program saved Medicare “more than $380 million in its first year of operation.” Jonathan Blum, the principal deputy administrator for the Center for Medicare Services, in making the announcement said, “We are even more pleased that the quality scores are improving.”

Reuters (1/31, Morgan) quotes Blum further, “Overall, the ACO program’s a net saver to the Medicare program. It’s giving us great confidence that this is the right course for the Medicare program and we are confident that it will continue to show quality improvement and cost savings.”
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ACA enrollment reaches three million after 800K signed up in January

January 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment

January 27, 2014
Friday’s announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services that 800,000 more people signed up for insurance exchange plans in January is covered in media outlets almost universally as a hurdle cleared for the Affordable Care Act.  Bloomberg News (1/25, Wayne) reported some of the new enrollees pushed “total enrollment to 3 million as negative perceptions about the program give way to more practical needs.” HHS Secretary Sebelius “touted the January figures in a speech today in Jacksonville, Florida,” while an HHS blog post said more outreach means those numbers are likely to “continue to grow.” One industry analyst said the enrollment was good news for insurers, and “if the pace of sign-ups continues, enrollment should be close to 5 million by the end of March.” The Administration wants about seven million people by then. Sebelius was in Jacksonville on another in a round of “multiple appearances in both Florida and Texas over the past six months.” Neither state operates its own insurance exchange.

Reuters (1/25) reported that the newest enrollment figures suggest the Obama Administration is steering past its bumpy launch of the insurance exchange and could reach its goal of 7 million people by March 31. CMS chief Marilyn Tavenner announced the new total Friday in the HHS blog post. Earlier in the week, the Obama Administration said 6.3 million people also qualified for Medicaid and the CHIP program this month.
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