California: 10K a day applying for Obamacare

[TomCADem]

Source: CNN Money

Californians are flocking to the Obamacare health exchange there, with 10,000 a day registering on the web site last week.

* * *

More than 360,000 people have created accounts on the Covered California website, through Nov. 19, according to health exchange officials. Some 39% of them are eligible for Medi-Cal. The rest can pick a private insurance policy on the exchange, with about half of them eligible for federal subsidies to defer premiums or out-of-pocket expenses. Nearly 80,000 residents have signed up for a policy, the final step on the exchange before working out payment with the insurance company. That's up from 59,000 in mid-November.

"What we're seeing is people signing up," said Peter Lee, Covered California's executive director.

Younger Californians age 18 to 34 account for about 22.5% of the sign ups in October, just about the share they represent in the state population. Luring in younger and healthier consumers, who use fewer medical services and would offset older, costlier policyholders, are vital to the health of the state exchange. If young people don't enroll, then rates could soar for 2015.


Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/21/news/economy/obamacare-california/

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The House Republicans may be distributing their talking points to the MSM to dutifully repeat and spread, but in the real world, ACA enrollment continues to pick up steam and accelerate in the face of a Koch funded campaign to convince people go without insurance.

[maindawg]

1. its a gold rush

theres gold in them there policies

[warrant46]

18. A gold rush for the Insurance and Banking Industries

Hey Jules pass the Champagne !!!

[lostincalifornia]

2. I know one thing, the repukes cannot turn this back now, and if they take power back, and try it

there will be riots unless of course they decide to replace it with single payer, which they won't

[BlueStreak]

3. Tale of two cities.

Good for California, Kentucky and the other places where it is working great.

When all the dust settles, we will find that the states that supported it have just taken a big step up. Their people will be happier and healthier. Those states will spend less on their total health care, meaning that they will have more money that will go to improving their standard of living in other ways. And the Medicaid expansion is a no-brainer economic development program. It costs the participating states practically nothing and adds billions of dollars to the states' economies, a big portion of which ends up as additional tax collections for the state.

And then there are the other states. They didn't take the no-brainer Medicaid expansion. They tried to sabotage the ACA at every step. They didn't encourage competition, so their pricing on the exchange really sucks in many cases.

The irony is that, basically forever since the Civil War, what we now know as the "blue" states have been subsidizing the red states in a very big way. This may be the only significant time when the transfer of wealth has gone back in the other direction. And the Red state leaders were so stupid, they did that voluntarily.

I'd take a lot of pleasure in that, if there weren't so many good people in those states that are really getting hurt in the process.

[mercymechap]

4. The more people that sign up

the more vitriol the right spews out. They're so afraid that Obamacare is going to make them look like the fools they really are.

[cosmicone]

5. If they were shrewd

they would come up with alternatives that would make it better rather than trying to kill it.

Unfortunately, they are singing for the cheers of the 24% who still think GWB was a great President. That 24% number will dwindle to 21% by 2016 and it is unlikely that they will ever win the POTUS office again unless they run someone like Huntsman.

[grandpamike1]

6. California

Leads the way again, with a budget surplus, and now enrollment in ACA. Maybe the unknowings will pick up on this and follow suit. But first they have to shut Fox off.

[pothos]

8. but didnt you hear?

businesses are fleeing the state in droves because TAXES!

[SoapBox]

15. Same as all doctors!!!

According to one of Mom's doctor's offices (the "Office Manager&quot , all the doctors are fleeing the U.S. because of Obamma Care!

I replied, "to where? Canada!?!", and then I laughed!

I'm not even sure if she got the point!

[Iliyah]

7. Blue states moving forward

[IronLionZion]

9. I love how the ACA works for those who want it to work

and has failed those who want it to fail. It's a choice. Shit happens no matter how young and healthy you are. You won't know when it will happen. Insurance insures against expensive bankruptcy in case shit happens. Educated, sensible, and liberal people understand this. Conservatives don't, and are blinded by their hatred for obama. I had bought an individual plan in my 20s before Obama was elected.

I still think its hilarious the other side is spending so much money to convince people they don't need insurance. It was disgusting when they kept trolling every media discussion board with their lie that you can buy insurance on your way to the ER if something happens, as if enrollment periods stopped existing.

I got my younger sister to sign up. She falsely assumed it would be expensive and wanted to go without. When we put her info into the system we found bronze plans for about $40 a month with the most expensive platinum plans about $100 after subsidies.

The biggest step on our side is to get people to simply look at the prices and options available, regardless of how they feel about politics. Seeing the prices, subsidies, etc. can be enough to make a difference, one uninsured friend or family member at a time.

[Politicalboi]

10. Hey GOP Teabaggers

"We Told You Sooooooooooo!"

[Drunken Irishman]

11. IT'S A TOTAL FAILURE!

IMPEACH OBUMMER!

[SHRED]

12. Glad I'm a Californian

[Kablooie]

13. Instead of hearing how many are losing their current plans ...

we should be hearing how many would lose all their insurance if Obamacare is killed by the Republicans.

[Demobrat]

14. Covered California is running some good ads

I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. The plans are good, but Obama and the Dems have done a terrible marketing job.

[SoapBox]

16. I LOVE my California!

[CFLDem]

17. When I bring this up to my Repuke coworkers

they suddenly become speechless.