Since New Year’s Eve, the Obama administration has celebrated the surge in Obamacare enrollments. As a result of Obamacare, the White House claims the following:
- 2 million have selected a health plan through the federal health law’s health insurance exchanges
- 3 million young adults under age 26 have health coverage on their parents’ policies
- 4 million individuals have gained coverage through Medicaid expansion
Yes, enrollment numbers continue to increase, but that is expected. At this point in time, they have nowhere to go but up. And the additional 4 million Medicaid enrollments do not directly result from the Affordable Care Act. This touted statistic is a major party foul.
Why?
Under Obamacare, states have a choice whether to expand their Medicaid programs that would largely cover childless adults living up to 138% FPL (an income of $15,856). North Carolina along with half the nation said no to Medicaid expansion. So the 4 million additional Medicaid enrollments do not solely reflect Obamacare’s optional Medicaid expansion provision. Rather, a large portion of this number represents individuals who were already eligible prior to the law’s existence. This population is merely coming out of the woodwork.
Sean Trende’s article in Real Clear Politics states the following:
Therefore, in total, of the 3.9 million individuals newly covered by Medicaid in October or November, only 1.9 million are from states that expanded Medicaid.
The next question is: How many of these 1.9 million are eligible directly because of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, and how many were just “normal” Medicaid enrollees?
Click here to read the rest of Trende’s analysis to find out.
