Obamacare supporters project that enrollment numbers will climb significantly once the federal exchange website is fixed, especially towards the end of the enrollment period (which will most likely be unilaterally extended even further if technological problems persist).
Since the pathetic rollout of the health insurance exchanges, the term “enrollment” has multiple meanings: visiting the site, creating an account, even cancellations. Rather, enrollment should be defined as the complete and thorough process of an individual creating an account, shopping for coverage and signing up for a health plan on the exchange.
Enrollment numbers have also been inflated as a majority of exchange applicants are Medicaid-eligible. The Advisory Board Company says:
About 90% of Washington’s “completed enrollments” are in Medicaid, with the majority of enrollees newly eligible under the Medicaid expansion that takes effect on Jan. 1.
While data isn’t available across all 15 state-based exchanges, it’s a similar story in Minnesota (90% of early enrollment has been in Medicaid and other public programs). And Connecticut officials report that roughly half of all early enrollment through their exchange has been in Medicaid.
To the media knowledge, just one North Carolinian has successfully signed up for a subsidized health plan through healthcare.gov, the federal health insurance exchange website. That person’s required personal information somehow made it through the intricate mess of healthcare.gov’s technological glitches – an amazing feat.
But the premium still has yet to be paid, since the payment option on the government’s server does not work.
WCNC reports that as of October 25th, less than 1,000 individuals have applied for BCBCS NC individual exchange plans.
