Alex Adrianson posted a recent blog entry for the Heritage Foundation’s “Insider Online” blog with the headline “Signs of an Obamacare Death Spiral.”
Investor’s Business Daily notices them:
In its latest enrollment report, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says 9.9 million were still enrolled in ObamaCare exchange plans.
That’s almost 2 million fewer than the administration claimed in the spring, when it bragged that 11.7 million had signed up, and way below the Congressional Budget Office’s earlier forecast of 13 million. […]
Year-over-year growth isn’t terribly impressive, either. The CBO had figured sign-ups would almost double this year. Instead, they climbed 24%, when you compare the latest figures to those the administration put out in May 2014. Enrollment in big states like California and New York is virtually unchanged.
What’s the problem? Probably premium spikes are driving enrollees away:
By one estimate, the average rate hike in Oregon — a state that eagerly embraced ObamaCare — is above 24%. Average approved rates are 20% or higher in Alaska, Idaho, Iowa and Kansas.
An analysis by Agile Health Insurance found almost a third of all plans being sold through the federal Healthcare.gov exchange — which covers 36 states — had double-digit rate hikes.
