The jury is still out on success of Obamacare
Enrollment numbers are in, and despite disastrous tech problems early on, the Affordable Care Act has cleared its first crucial hurdle.
Though many procrastinated, 7.1 million people signed up for private health plans by last week’s initial deadline, slightly more than the administration originally projected.
And that’s good news, since the nation as a whole will benefit if the health care law succeeds
However, President Obama’s victory lap in a Rose Garden ceremony last week struck us as somewhat premature.
There is a longway to go and many milestones before the administration can truly tout the health care overhaul as a success.
Much the same is true in Colorado, where Connect for Health Colorado signed up a total of 277,149 people through the exchange byMarch 31. That’s a combination of people seeking private plans andMedicaid.
Mid-range projections, made before the exchange launch, were that 133,451 Coloradans would sign up for private insurance byMarch 31. However, only 118,628 did, though that number is expected to increase as final applications are processed.
Health exchange proponents are quick to say that is a good number considering the highly publicized problems with the healthcare.gov website and the negative politics swirling around the issue of health care reform.
We see their point, but that doesn’t diminish the challenges ahead. To begin with, how many of those coaxed into signing up actually will make their health care premium payments?
It also will be important to learn how many of those who signed up had previously been uninsured, since a major goal of the overhaul was to provide coverage for those who didn’t have it.
The trajectory of premiums, too, will be a measure of whether the law is succeeding. Some of that will be determined by how many younger and healthier adults sign on.
The jury is still out on that last question, although Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently said President Obama’s appearance on “Between Two Ferns,” a snarkyWeb series that appeals to the younger set, encouraged that demographic to sign up.
Health care reform is a longhaul trip, and patience and perseverance will be required to eventually slow the growth of medical costs while making health care accessible to all Americans.