Replies

I’d bet the “navigators” were instructed to be as generous as possible with their estimates of how much of a subsidy an enrollee might get, to encourage as many people as possible to get enrolled just for the propaganda value of the numbers.

Potential enrollees were told not to worry & “just guess” on the income question. A lot of them “guessed” low (gee, who woulda’ thunk that?) & now are going to have to repay part or perhaps all of their subsidies. Also, if they allowed “auto-enroll” to happen for 2015 without going back on the exchange to shop around, THIS will be happening: (excerpt from link @ http://healthpolicyandmarket.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-many-people-have-enrolled-so-far-in.html )

************************************

This is all compounded by something called the baseline Silver Plan’s effect on subsidies. The second lowest cost Silver plan in any market determines what a person’s subsidy will be. Last year, that plan was probably the plan that got the biggest enrollment and also the plan with the biggest rate increase this year. So, it’s probably the plan George has.

In fact, you might recall a recent briefing paper by actuarial firm Milliman in which they pointed out that even a modest increase in premium by market leaders of 5% could lead to net after subsidy cost increases of 30% to near 100% for subsidized enrollees.

But because George’s plan is no longer the baseline plan, even though George is on subsidy and he is supposed to be shielded from any rate increase by the taxpayer, his premium is going up unless he changes to the insurance company that now holds the honors as having the second lowest cost Silver Plan.

So, George scrambles, in the very few days between his getting his January premium invoice (likely about December 6th) and the January 1 cut-off for open enrollment on December 15, to sign-up for that lower cost plan and save his full subsidy.

But then George’s friend Mary tells him that the new second lowest cost Silver Plan is one of those terrible narrow network plans that restricts providers in order to be able to charge the lowest rate and suggests he sign up for a third plan that costs a little more but has his doctor in the network.

So, how many enrollments will the Obama administration and the insurance companies be counting here on their far from finished Obamacare backroom system?

George’s first carrier will count him because it was too much bother for George to figure out whom to call to cancel his coverage––he will just not pay the bill. But his carrier, by regulation, can’t knock him off the rolls for three months––not until April 1.

George enrolled in his second choice but never bothered to pay that bill but the carrier will count him likely into February as the health plans give people plenty of time to pay their bill in what will be a very confusing situation.

And, of course, George’s third carrier will count him.

So, that is one person being counted three times and we won’t have just George’s status cleared up until George’s 2014 carrier can delete him from its rolls in April.

So, how many people have enrolled in Obamacare say, by December 1, or December 15, or January 1, or February 1?

I will have no frickin idea, don’t even ask.

So much for Healthcare.Gov working really well.

But I am sure the Obama administration will be telling us the website, call centers, and carriers are very busy with people all excited about Obamacare. They just won’t be defining excitement.

I’d bet the “navigators” were instructed to be as generous as possible with their estimates of how much of a subsidy an enrollee might get, to encourage as many people as possible to get enrolled just for the propaganda value of the numbers.

Yeah....like this guy:

Navigator to clients: "Your voting record does nor conform to standards"

"Medication denied in both cases, aspirin and colonoscopy prescribed"