Is ObamaCare Enrollment Already Hitting A Wall?

[Geee]

Investors Business Daily:

Earlier this year, the Obama administration hoped to boost ObamaCare sign-ups by offering a special enrollment period for millions who didn't know about the individual mandate penalty until they filed their taxes.

 

They'd have until the end of April to buy a plan and avoid paying an even bigger ObamaCare penalty when they file taxes next year. At least one outside observer expected as many as 1.2 million to sign up.

 

But last week the administration admitted — buried in the middle of a press release — that a mere 36,000 had done so by the end of March.

 

It was another sign that enrollment could be hitting a wall, well before ObamaCare has signed up enough people to be sustainable.

 

When discussing ObamaCare, President Obama has repeatedly bragged about what great products the insurance plans are. Subsidized premiums. No medical underwriting. Rich benefits. Free preventive care. Choice of plans.

 

But the public doesn't seem to share Obama's enthusiasm.

 

[clearvision]

With several 20 year olds we know, they don't give a crap. Have not signed up. Will let IRS try and extract a penalty assuming they make a enough to actually pay taxes. If they signup they still can't afford deductibles, so same as just making cash payments. Too "complicated" to deal with.

[Geee]

@clearvision

Oldest son, who has his own business, paid for a policy on his own for years. When the law was passed the insurance company cancelled his policy, as with many people. The first year he was able to afford a policy with a large deductible and the premium was a couple hundred dollars more a month. This year the premium was raised another 350 dollars a month and the deductible $4000 a year. It is almost like just having major medical. In order to afford it he had to apply for the subsidy, which covers 300 a month. So now he has a policy that is only useful if he spends over $4000 and its about $750 more a month, rather than a policy that paid for something and he could afford and instead of paying for the whole thing himself, the taxpayer is subsidizing. When we were there there was commercial after commercial about how the ACA was so needed because so many people were signing up for it. My son hit the roof every time - people are being forced to sign up for it.