15 Percent of Obamacare’s Second Season Enrollees Were Gone by June 30
Obamacare’s second enrollment season closed around the end of February, with 11.7 million signed up. By March 31, that had dropped to 10.2 million who actually paid their first month’s premium. New data from the administration report that number dropped further to 9.9 million by June 30.
What is also notable is that the entire drop of paid enrollees occurred in states using the federal exchange, not state-based exchanges (for which enrolment stayed at 2.7 million). There is no word on whether the drop-outs got employer-based coverage, descended into Medicaid, or stayed uninsured. 423,000 were dropped by the administration because of lack of documentation of citizenship or immigration status.
A stable market? Not quite, I guess.
Overall, 84 percent of enrollees have their premiums artificially lowered by tax credits payed to their health plans. The average discount is $270 per month. Further, 56 percent were getting reductions of out-of-pocket costs through taxpayer transfers to health insurers.
Washington, DC, is unique. Only 10 percent of its 14,637 exchange enrollees are receiving discounted premiums, and fewer than three percent reductions of out-of-pocket costs. This indicates the exchange (DC Link) is dominated by Congressional staff. However, we need not cry for them, because the administration is using taxpayer money to pay their costs through the back door – with no legal basis.
In a free market, losing that many customers would certainly force a company to radically change their business practices. Someone would probably be fired.
I thought I read somewhere that one-quarter were gone. I was surprised because 17% was the estimate for late-season enrollees. Something like 84% of enrollees get subsidies worth a couple hundred a month. I wonder if the dropouts were those who didn’t get a subsidy? Or was it those who got a subsidy but didn’t think their ($4,000) health insurance was even worth the paltry $100 per month they were expected to pay.
I think a lot of it is churn into Medicaid and employer-based benefits. Obamacare exchanges have increased, not deceased, fragmentation of coverage!
A twenty five turnover in one year
Insurers average about 50 percent turnover in year one for individual policies
Don Levit
Are you referring to pre-Obamacare? It is the same problem: A residual market for those who will get employer-based coverage soon.
I meant 25 percent turnover in the Exchanges
Don Levit
Assuming your turnover numbers are correct, I would expect those in the individual
Market to switch insurers or get employer coverage. In the Obamacare exchanges I don’t expect the same thing.
OK, after tax credits you owe $9 a month but you don’t have a checking account so how are you going to pay your $9?