Fewer than 20% of ObamaCare enrollees have made a premium payment

[Chris_]

The key Obamacare deadline few are talking about

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced this morning that nearly 365,000 Americans had signed up for private health insurance under Obamacare. The vast majority came from 14 states running their own insurance exchanges, while 137,000 came by way of HealthCare.gov, the much-faulted federal website that handles enrollment for the remaining states.

But amid the rush to enroll as many people as possible by the Dec. 23 deadline, there’s a huge caveat that isn’t getting much public attention: In order for coverage to take effect on Jan. 1, enrollees must pay their first month’s premium on time. (The deadline varies somewhat by state and by insurer.)

“There is also a lot of worrying going on over people making payments,” industry consultant Robert Laszewski wrote in an email. “One client reports only 15% have paid so far. It is still too early to know for sure what this means but we should expect some enrollment slippage come the payment due date.”

Another consultant Kip Piper, agreed. “So far I’m hearing from health plans that around 5% and 10% of consumers who have made it through the data transfer gauntlet have paid first month’s premium and therefore truly enrolled,” he wrote me.

Charles Ornstein

When Nancy said "embrace the suck", I don't think she knew how far it actually goes.

[Bad Dog]

Nothing to see here; CBS, NBC, NYT etc.

[DLR Pyro]

oh, wait...You mean I have to pay for my free healthcare? [/DUmmymindset]

[Chris_]

No, man... it was supposed to be freeee....

[Carl]

What happens when they hit the hospitals and have no coverage?
Talk about a cluster.

[thundley4]

Another thing they aren't saying is how many of those people are going on Medicaid and not paying anything for their insurance.



HHS is looking to the insurance companies to bail them out of the mess they made.

During the Obamacare rollout, stories have spread about millions of Americans losing their current health insurance coverage, preferred doctors and hospitals as plans restrict networks to comply with the law, and losing their prescription drug coverage.

On Thursday afternoon, the Department of Health and Human Services said it was “strongly encouraging” insurers to help the department fix a raft of problems created by the rocky rollout of President Obama’s health care law.


— It is requiring insurers to accept payments until Dec. 31 for coverage starting on Jan. 1. It is also “urging” insurers to give individuals more time beyond that to pay for coverage. In other words, if somebody pays for coverage in the middle of January, HHS is asking insurers to retroactively make that person's coverage effective as of Jan. 1. HHS is also asking insurers to cover individuals who offer a "down payment," even if that payment only covers part of the first month's premiums.
— In a press release, HHS said it was also "strongly encouraging insurers to treat out-of-network providers as in-network to ensure continuity of care for acute episodes or if the provider was listed in their plan’s provider directory as of the date of an enrollee’s enrollment."

— HHS is also "strongly encouraging insurers to refill prescriptions covered under previous plans during January."

http://washingtonexaminer.com/hhs-encourages-insurers-to-fix-problems-created-by-obamacare/article/2540658

Some of these are asking the insurance companies to violate the ObamaCare law as written.

[DLR Pyro]

What happens when they hit the hospitals and have no coverage?

ask the millions of illegal aliens living in the U.S.  They seem to have that problem wired.

[Bad Dog]

What happens when they hit the hospitals and have no coverage?
Talk about a cluster.

Since obombathugs are putting the arm on insurance companies to pay out of hide, I expect they can do the same to hospitals and docs.  Nice little practice you got here, be a shame if anything were to happen to it.

[Celtic Rose]

What happens when they hit the hospitals and have no coverage?
Talk about a cluster.

Same thing that happens now, the hospitals will take a financial hit and try to recoup what they can from the patient.  Then they will raise prices for everybody to make up for the lost income. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

What happens when they hit the hospitals and have no coverage?
Talk about a cluster.

Hospitals have to see them anyway, same as before.  The whole BS about 'Reducing healthcare costs by keeping low buck patients out of the ER' was patently bullshit all along, as anyone with the slightest knowledge of human economic behavior knew all along, but of course the press was too busy giving Obama hummers and scolding the opposition to say a word about it.

Even if they have Obamacare coverage, they'd have to be admitted for inpatient treatment before they get past the Obamacare-approved deductibles, so there still wouldn't be any difference between the Obamacare-insured and the uninsured, except they'll probably be charged a different, better rate for exactly the same thing, which is one of the more ate-up parts of the healthcare system, which Obamacare did absolutely nothing to fix.

I for one am surprised the number who have actually paid, out of the few who have managed to sign up at all, even approaches 20%.  I'd have expected something more like 10%.

[Bad Dog]

Hospitals have to see them anyway, same as before.  The whole BS about 'Reducing healthcare costs by keeping low buck patients out of the ER' was patently bullshit all along, as anyone with the slightest knowledge of human economic behavior knew all along, but of course the press was too busy giving Obama hummers and scolding the opposition to say a word about it.

Even if they have Obamacare coverage, they'd have to be admitted for inpatient treatment before they get past the Obamacare-approved deductibles, so there still wouldn't be any difference between the Obamacare-insured and the uninsured, except they'll probably be charged a different, better rate for exactly the same thing, which is one of the more ate-up parts of the healthcare system, which Obamacare did absolutely nothing to fix.

I for one am surprised the number who have actually paid, out of the few who have managed to sign up at all, even approaches 20%.  I'd have expected something more like 10%.

Actually the author says under 20% and then reports the highest as 15% with others at 5 to 10%.

[Freeper]

I still have an iPad air in my shopping cart at amazon, wonder if I'm an iPad air owner now.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I still have an iPad air in my shopping cart at amazon, wonder if I'm an iPad air owner now.

If you occupy it, you own it. 

[Freeper]

If you occupy it, you own it. 

If only CC had a wishado that thing would be mine!

[Ralph Wiggum]

If only CC had a wishado that thing would be mine!

I'll send you my paypal info.   

[Freeper]

I'll send you my paypal info.   

Then I can live my dream and become homeless and stay at the Sally.

[JohnnyReb]

What happens when they hit the hospitals and have no coverage?
Talk about a cluster.

They will take the stolen WAL-MART grocery cart and sell it to cover the bill.

[jtyangel]

It is also “urging” insurers to give individuals more time beyond that to pay for coverage. In other words, if somebody pays for coverage in the middle of January, HHS is asking insurers to retroactively make that person's coverage effective as of Jan. 1.

Well I'm glad they are giving all sorts of exceptions. After my ex and I seperated, I finally went on  my own insurance this last year. My coverage didn't start until I made the first payment out of my check which was approx Jan 13--and luck of luck I actually got sick that year too--I was sick NYE and had been for about a week and decided f* it to go to the doctor THAT DAY since I knew I would be screwed for 2 weeks and wasn't getting any better so I recall that quite plainly. Glad Obamacare has to follow the rules that everyone else getting insured had to. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Actually the author says under 20% and then reports the highest as 15% with others at 5 to 10%.

Yeah, I saw that, and figured he had some other stats in the bag that might get some exchanges to 20% tops; I was saying I was surprised that it beat 10% tops.

[Dori]

How many people aren't going to pay after a month or two? 
Then what?  Is the insurance company/doctor on the hook?

Oh well, most people will have such huge deductibles that they will be paying out of pocket anyway and the deadbeats will always be deadbeats.

[Freeper]

How many people aren't going to pay after a month or two? 
Then what?  Is the insurance company/doctor on the hook?

Oh well, most people will have such huge deductibles that they will be paying out of pocket anyway and the deadbeats will always be deadbeats.

It's a feature, not a bug. The idea is to cause so much chaos that people will demand it be fixed. Obama and the dems will happily jump in and propose single payer.

[Chris_]

How many people aren't going to pay after a month or two? 
Then what?  Is the insurance company/doctor on the hook?

Oh well, most people will have such huge deductibles that they will be paying out of pocket anyway and the deadbeats will always be deadbeats.

Yes.

The Affordable Care Act created a 90-day grace period before insurers can drop patients who fall behind on premiums. So, delinquents who obtain tax-subsidized health insurance through an Obamacare health insurance exchange have three months to settle up their bills prior to their policy being canceled. As written, the law puts insurers on the hook for the grace period.

ObamaCare leaves doctors on the hook for deadbeats

[Dori]

It's a feature, not a bug. The idea is to cause so much chaos that people will demand it be fixed. Obama and the dems will happily jump in and propose single payer.

Or the Republicans will sweep both houses in congress.

[Carl]

Yes.

ObamaCare leaves doctors on the hook for deadbeats

Which means they can break an arm,hit the ER,be signed up on a subsidized (welfare) plan,never pay a nickel and then walk away after the cast is off.

What could possibly go economically wrong with that?

[DLR Pyro]

Or the Republicans will sweep both houses in congress.

depends on the caliber of republicans swept into office. ..