BREAKING: Obama's Health Care Law on Track to Hit 7 Million Sign-Ups on Deadline Day

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

@AP: BREAKING: AP sources: Obama's health care law on track to hit 7 million sign-ups on deadline day.

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and JOSH LEDERMAN Associated Press Mar 31, 2014, 2:46 PM

Beating expectations, President Barack Obama's health care overhaul was on track to sign up more than 7 million Americans for health insurance on deadline day Monday, government officials told The Associated Press.

The 7 million target, thought to be out of reach by most experts, was in sight on a day that saw surging consumer interest as well as vexing computer glitches that slowed sign-ups on the HealthCare.gov website.

Two government officials confirmed the milestone, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter ahead of an official announcement.

Seven million was the original target set by the Congressional Budget Office for enrollment in taxpayer-subsidized private health insurance through new online markets created under Obama's signature legislation.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/deadline-dash-health-care-sign-ups-amid-glitches-23130500

[SoapBox]

1. Benghazi!

Just prepping for the PukingTeaTaliban response.

[Cha]

11. And, Benghazi Prediction to you too, Soapbox!

[SoapBox]

23. My bones were telling me it's coming!

[Cha]

24. ..

[cer7711]

20. LOL!

Indeed. Wait for it . . .

[AAO]

36. Crap, I forgot all about BENGHAZI!!

[TomCADem]

42. ROFL!

Okay, that was funny.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. GOP and Obama Haters Scratch Heads, Stomp Little Feet as Obama wins Yet Again

[Cha]

12. Yeah, those who tried to REPEAL it 50 Times Wasting Tax Payers' MONEY and those

Last edited Tue Apr 1, 2014, 07:32 AM - Edit history (1)

who are pissed it's not single payer Right freaking now.. so it's no good. They will not be pleased its only getting stronger and on it's way.

Baby steps.. first baby has to crawl>>>> then walk>>>> before he or she can run.

[Newsjock]

3. What ever will Fox News do?

They spent so much money on this graphic today!

[Ilsa]

4. Their bar graph makers really don't understand proportion,

do they? Of course, I'm reasonably certain that they were told to make the 6 million bar substantially lower than the 7 million bar.

[tarheelsunc]

6. It's common to truncate graphs, but you have to label the axes if you're going to do that. eom

[phleshdef]

25. They seem to have did it in increments of 200,000

But they only show the top part of the bars. Its of course an obvious attempt to mislead.

[davidpdx]

27. That is just so outrageous it's funny

So why don't we make a bar graph and put 12 million and 5 million in and then label them wrong. No one will notice right?

[NBachers]

5. I don't understand why it can't be open enrollment all the time.

There must be a good reason, but I don't know what it is.

Can any of the plugged-in DU'ers enlighten me?

Thanks!

[DebJ]

7. I think I read, or heard Obama say, that this is because the insurance companies

need time to review their current insureds, then project costs for the next year, in order
to come up with rates for the next year, and those sign ups must get going by the fall,
so the rates have to be ready in the fall.

However, Senator Casey's office advised me that if I lose my coverage in June, which may well
happen, that because this is a 'life change' category of insurance loss, we can enroll through
the ACA.

[NBachers]

8. Thanks- it sounds like it's due to the mechanics of how insurance works.

[DebJ]

9. Just read your signature line. What a dream that would be! n/t

[NBachers]

13. I hope to go to Democrat Heaven when my time here is finished.

No republicans.

Uh oh, duck! Here comes the wooftwaffe! I think I tripped one of their keyword sensors.

[DebJ]

14. We'd be in great company if we make it there!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024762507

[NBachers]

16. Yeah, I thought of this one, but it still overcomes me too much with emotion

I was around for pretty much all of it.

[DebJ]

18. Jack's passing was the first big event I remember.

I was only 6. I remember sitting at my Mom's feet while she watched the funeral in her rocking chair.
I sat at her feet because she was sobbing and sobbing.
Mom is Irish, second-generation born in America on her Dad's side.
Jack winning the election meant the world to her.
She was raised in DC in an era when there was a "Polish" section, and a "German" section
and an "Irish" section, etc (but was racially integrated in her neighborhood).

[NBachers]

19. Nice talking with you, DebJ

[Lars28]

34. A supermarket inventory computer program could solve this little problem.

So it's not "mechanics."

[groundloop]

29. Yes, if someone loses their insurance or has other life changes they can enroll whenever....

I personally think that people should be allowed to enroll whenever they want without a cutoff, but then I guess some people would just never get around to it. At least they got it right by allowing people to enroll if they lose employer coverage for whatever reason (along with several other exceptions that I can't remember).

[Cha]

10. That's a FAST FREAKING MILLION!!!!!

[hibbing]

15. Imagine without the corporate media bashing 24/7

Even the crappy local news was negative 99% of the time. Also, if all the states would have expanded Medicaid the numbers obviously would be much much larger. I am so fed up with the propaganda that bombards everyone and I don't even watch much "news" to begin with and saw a ton.

Peace

[Skittles]

22. or more than one party on board

[groundloop]

30. Also, states like mine (Georgia) have done everything imaginable to discourage signing up

Georgia has gone out of it's way to make it difficult to sign up. Things like requiring health insurance navigators to pass the state licensing exam for insurance agents, making it illegal for any state employee to do anything related to the Affordable Care Act (like even telling someone how to sign up), and of course refusing the Medicaid expansion (which of course is a death sentence for thousands of people).

[Samantha]

17. I believe I heard on cable this number does not include those who went out of the exchanges

and signed up directly with insurance companies. Those were probably people who experienced problems with website problems and knew they would not be be able to qualify for subsidies. I saw this message repeatedly on the Maryland site, which as you might have read, still does not work properly and might be totally overhauled. I did not do this, go directly to the insurance company quotes, because I thought I did qualify for a subsidy.

This number does not include also the offspring of insured parents who were allowed to stay on their parents' policies until they turned 26 (I believe that is the age).

It also does not include those who gained Medicaid coverage.

The total estimate which includes the 7 million who signed up through the exchange but not the other 3 categories I mentioned put forth an overall estimate of approximately 20 million who gained insurance during the signatory period. Of course, the Republicans will say those who went directly to insurance companies cannot be credited as having done so because of passage of the Affordable Care Act, but that is not entirely true. They were referred there by the websites and they also received better policies because of the negotiated terms the passage of this legislation prompted.

And that number is expected to grow....

I heard this information on MSNBC, and the number of people who signed up directly with insurance companies was estimated to be 9 million people! That leaves about 4 million who fall into the other two categories.

Sam

[Zambero]

21. Must be a reverse death spiral?

[dipsydoodle]

26. Deadline brings high interest for health insurance

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A blizzard, jammed phone lines and unreliable websites failed to stop throngs of procrastinating Americans from trying to sign up for health coverage by the midnight Monday deadline for President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy initiative.

In Louisiana, wait times for callers lasted up to two hours. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee received nearly 1,900 calls by midday compared with about 800 the previous Monday. And in California, where enrollments surged toward the Obama administration's original projection of 1.3 million, the deadline day volume forced the state exchange to switch off a key function on its website and encourage people to finish their applications in the days ahead.

Across the nation, the interest in getting health insurance and avoiding a federal tax penalty was made clear in interviews with enrollment counselors and consumers.

"I have not had a physical in over 15 years," said Dionne Gilbert, a 51-year-old uninsured woman from Denver who waited in a 90-minute line to get enrollment assistance. "I told myself, `You need to do this. Your daughter loves you and needs you.'

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_OVERHAUL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-04-01-01-52-51

[davidpdx]

28. Fuck yeah!

[Sunlei]

31. 7 million sign-ups! yes, I checked the website yesterday,it was slow with the last second sign-ups.

but it didn't crash

[question everything]

32. And, including the states exchanges, more than 9.5 millions

As Alex Wagner concluded yesterday - there were 48 million Americans who were uninsured. Now, their number is down by 9.5 million.

[NastyRiffraff]

33. Can we now cheer Obama?

I know those who insist on Single-Payer-Now-or-Else-I-Refuse-to-Support-the-ACA will never give Obama credit for his historic legislation, but can the rest of us give him some credit?

This was achieved against all odds. Republicans did everything they could to try to destroy it. And here we are, victorious.

Obama!

[Lars28]

35. The insurance companies will certainly give him credit.

Plenty of speaking tours on the lecture circuit for Aetna and NY Life when he leaves office.

[daybranch]

40. I like your message but

I think Barack Enroll would be better. Just saw this on Huffington Post today. Hell yes, we did might be a good one for an answer to Boehner..

[Kablooie]

37. So now the rightwin brains are complaining about the "310 million" people NOT insured by Obamacare.

7 million is a paltry number because of all the people who aren't covered.
Huh?

That's what's going around on the imbecile sites.
And this kind of thinking is persuasive to them.
It's a wonder they even have the mental capacity to vote.

Sheesh.

[marions ghost]

38. Let them think that way

then maybe they're go for Single Payer one of these days.

[daybranch]

39. Barack Enroll

Not nearly enough emphasis has been placed on the life saving virtues of the Medicaid expansion. I watch with great satisfaction those who have been out of work for a long time get health insurance they were not getting when they worked. No more is every illness going to intensify until you must go to the emergency room. No longer are the poor denied life saving early intervention treatment. I am so proud of this and so happy our country has in many cases done the right thing. We need more expansion of Medicaid in the states who have not approved it. Lets pressure the voters and their representatives in every legal way possible to extend these life saving benefits to many of our most needy.
In Mississippi, they apparently have nothing but pride. No jobs, no medicaid expansion, and no money to buy food. I am very happy to help fund their food stamps and I love their children. But I have trouble stomaching their pride from helping their sick , ill , and poor.
The Bible says pride goeth before a fall. I think most of these Sotherners have already fell. Maybe the pride they should embrace is doing the best they can to support their families and their state by accepting needed services such as medicaid with a thank you and a vote for Democrats who have reached out a helping hand to them for many years.
Southerners, you may yell secession and you may condemn us for being too liberal, but we love you, your children, and your parents as well. We want you to be safe and, secure, well fed, and now insured by whatever means is appropriate. Call your Governor and legislators and demand medicaid expansion. They may try to ignore you but remind them you while poor, can still work for the democrats against them for free. If they ignore you, stand up and do it.

[truthisfreedom]

41. It's pronounced Bar-ROCK!