Healthcare.Gov Has Busiest Day Ever — Even As Uncertain Future Looms
Officials announce that 670,000 people signed up for coverage on Thursday, outpacing the previous high of 600,000 from last year.
Los Angeles Times:
Obamacare Sign-Ups Hit New Record Even As GOP Promises Repeal
More than 670,000 people signed up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, marking the busiest single enrollment day since the healthcare law’s coverage expansion began three years ago. The record tally, announced by President Obama at his year-end news conference Friday, continues the strong enrollment this fall following Donald Trump’s Nov. 8 election victory. (Levey, 12/16)
Sacramento Business Journal:
ACA And Covered California Enrollment Numbers Are Surging As Deadline Approaches For 2017 Coverage
As an incoming president and Congress discuss plans to repeal Affordable Care Act, enrollment numbers are on the upswing. Federal and state departments this week report surging enrollment for health insurance coverage through ACA and Covered California as the new Monday deadline approaches. Healthcare.gov, the federal insurance marketplace used by 39 states, saw record enrollment on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 totaling more than 700,000 signups. These are two of the biggest days out of all past open enrollment periods. (Siu, 12/16)
The Mercury News:
Californians With Pre-Existing Conditions Worried About Health Care Future
A stunning analysis released this past week by the Menlo Park-based Kaiser Family Foundation found that 52 million American adults under age 65 — including 5.8 million Californians — have pre-existing health conditions that would most likely make them uninsurable under underwriting practices in place in most states before Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law six years ago. Many Obamacare opponents — including Trump — say the pre-existing condition provision is one of the few parts of the Affordable Care Act worth keeping, but it’s far from clear how their alternative plans could afford to retain it. (Seipel, 12/17)
KPCC:
Covered California Pushes Deadline 2 More Days
Covered California is extending the deadline to sign up for 2017 health coverage that takes effect Jan. 1 by two more days until midnight Monday, the state health insurance exchange said Friday. Earlier this week Covered California had extended the original deadline from Thursday to midnight Saturday. The exchange said it's pushing it back again to align with the midnight Monday deadline the federal government announced for states that use the healthcare.gov exchange. (Glickman, 12/16)