Report: Only 10,000 Will Lose Out Under Obamacare

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How many people are losing the health insurance they had because of Obamacare and won’t be able to renew it or replace it with something better?

Not very many, says a report by the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce — about 10,000 people.

The report, issued in December, says:

Opponents of the Affordable Care Act claim that 4 [million] to 5 million people will lose their health insurance coverage next year because of the law. They cite as evidence a report by The Associated Press that estimated that 4.7 million Americans have received or will receive notices canceling their 2013 health insurance plans.

But that’s faulty reasoning, the report says, and it instead came to these conclusions:

  • Half of the 4.7 million will have the option to renew the plans they had in 2013, because of a change in the rules.
  • Of the remaining 2.35 million, 60 percent “will be able to buy subsidized coverage through the new health exchanges or enroll in Medicaid.” That’s based on a Kaiser Family Foundation estimate that half the people who buy individual policies will be eligible for tax credits to help them pay for premiums. Also, Medicaid has been expanded in some states under Obamacare.
  • Also, the report says, “Individuals who received cancellation notices are eligible to apply for a hardship exemption and purchase catastrophic health plans typically offered only to individuals under 30.”

So, with so many options to buy insurance, very few people will be unable to continue health insurance coverage, the report says. This sums it up:

Complete data on policy renewals and enrollment in new insurance plans are not yet available. But the actual number of individuals who receive a cancellation notice, do not sign up for new insurance in 2014, and lack the option to do so at affordable prices will likely be less than 10,000. Over 99 percent of the individuals receiving cancellation notices will have the option to renew their 2013 policies, enroll in subsidized coverage through the marketplaces or Medicaid, or purchase a low-cost catastrophic plan, and many have already done so.

George Zornick wrote on the liberal Plum Line blog of The Washington Post:

As we’ve noted, Republicans have had an awful hard time finding people who completely lost coverage because of the ACA. (Think of the man who starred in Americans for Prosperity ads last week and whose story still hasn’t been fully explained.) Perhaps it’s because there just aren’t that many of them.

We’ll all find out for sure at some point in time. In my case, my insurance provider was ready to roll me into a different plan on Jan. 1. Instead, I purchased a new policy via HealthCare.gov at a cost savings of 45 percent. I make too much money to be eligible for a subsidy, so other people could get an ever better price.

Have you benefited from Obamacare? Or are you one of those who lost coverage and can’t replace it. Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

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