Posted on 11/11/2013 2:06:20 PM PST by Libloather
Fewer than 50,000 people have successfully purchased private healthcare coverage using the struggling ObamaCare enrollment site, according to a report.
The figure represents about one-tenth of an initial enrollment target from the Obama administration that has been cited by Republican lawmakers.
The report by the Wall Street Journal, citing two people familiar with the matter, comes as federal health officials prepare to release official sign-up figures from healthcare.gov for the first time later this week.
The administration has sought to lower expectations about the number, citing problems with HealthCare.gov and consumers' tendency to purchase health coverage close to deadlines.
Health insurance companies serving the federal marketplaces have received data for between 40,000 and 50,000 enrollees, sources told the Journal.
The administration had hoped to sign up 500,000 people in the month of October, according to documents cited by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (Mich.), a Republican.
Monday's release was part of a flurry of estimates shedding light on aspects of ObamaCare enrollment.
Consulting firm Avalere Health reported that about 50,000 people had signed up for either private plans or Medicaid on 12 state-run marketplaces.
The administration and healthcare experts caution that early lags in enrollment can be rectified by big waves later on.
"Enrollment in new programs begins slowly and often takes several months to build momentum," said Avalere CEO Dan Mendelson in a statement.
"While initial enrollment has been lagging, with aggressive marketing, there is still time for awareness of the program to grow and participation to begin."
The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department said it could not confirm the Journal's numbers.
"We have always anticipated that initial enrollment numbers would be low and increase over time," said HHS spokeswoman Joanne Peters in a statement, citing Massachusetts' experience with its healthcare reform law.
"As we have said, the problems with the website will cause the numbers to be lower than initially anticipated."
that’s about $40million dollars PER PERSON spent (so far)
This is also NOT 50k purchasers- it is 50K who signed up online~!
It does not say how many of those are paying customers and how many took the free Medicare option
It's not for them. It's for us slaves that work our asses off to feed this sorry government of ours.
We need to start building gallows for these people. The day of reckoning is near.
I’m surprised it’s that high, given the reports of how difficult the system is to access. I would be very interested in the breakdown of how many of these are unsubsidized or lightly subsidized versus how many are Medicaid enrollees or heavily subsidized.
I read that Oregon alone had around sixty thousand Medicaid applicants.
It says “successfully purchased”.
I doubt many/any of those are “unsubsidized”.
50K illegals getting more benefits (and votes)
certainly balances the 20 million Americans
who have lost their previously affordable
— and deliverable — healthcare.
[/s]
That works out to be enrollment of less than 1% of the people that have lost their insurance BECAUSE of Obamacare.
True to form, they’re getting the bad news out there ahead of time so they can put try to put a favorable spin on it.
Assuming $300/month in premiums per enrollee, this is a whopping $1.8 million in policy income.
The 50k is a fudged number. It is a lot lower, but who is there to verify?
Bad math. $180 million in annual policy income.
50,000 seems high, given some states reporting fewer than 10.
And, this is enrollments. How many will actually get around to making a payment?
And, how many of these are high risk or poor pork suckers?
And, how many of them will find a doctor who will take them?
So far, the White House is keeping a tight lid on figures, and even when they release them, they’ll be suspect.
LOL!! The FReepathon is doing better than Obamacare.
you are correct- it says “Fewer than 50,000 people have successfully purchased private healthcare coverage “
500 is fewer than 50,000
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