"Under 500K with revoked health plans lack coverage"

[applegrove]

Under 500K with revoked health plans lack coverage

By JULIE PACE, AP White House Correspondent / Chron

http://www.chron.com/news/medical/article/Under-500K-with-revoked-health-plans-lack-coverage-5079633.php?cmpid=healthhcat

"SNIP....................................


WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than a half million people whose health insurance was canceled under President Barack Obama's new law have not yet found other coverage, the administration said Thursday.

However, officials said that figure could shrink in the coming days. Americans have until Dec. 23 to purchase insurance and ensure they have no gap in coverage if their current plans are among those that will be canceled at the end of the month.

The cancellations have become a nagging problem for the White House, compounding the widespread technology failures that marred the rollout of the nation's health care law.

Since the law's passage in 2010, President Barack Obama repeatedly promised that people who liked their insurance would be able to keep it. However, the law set minimum requirements for coverage, meaning people who obtained subpar plans after the law was passed would have to find new coverage.





....................................SNIP

[Curmudgeoness]

1. That's some good news

but 1/2 million people is still a lot. Let's hope that they do get other coverage before the deadline and that number goes down significantly more.

[applegrove]

2. I thought telling the number left puts it in perspective quite a bit.

[BlueStreak]

3. People are making way too much about coverage gaps

Why do you need the policy to take effect on January 1? Most people don't. If you don't need an operation or expensive drugs on Jan 1, it isn't going to hurt most people to have a gap. If something does come up, you can quickly buy a policy because they can't reject based on pre-existing conditions.

The key date is the closing of open enrollment because if you don't have a policy by then, you have to wait another 9 months.

[applegrove]

4. Thanks for explaining that.