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Health Care Sticker Shock In California: Claims Data For ObamaCare's High Risk Pool Program Comes in Three Times Higher Than Expected
Before ObamaCare's state-based high risk pool
program—the pre-existing condition insurance plan (PCIP)—went into
effect, critics (including me) warned that enrollment in the
program would run high and that as a result the program would go
overbudget.
In California, at least, it turns out that prediction was half wrong. Enrollment in the program is much lower than expected. But program administrators are now worried it might go over budget anyway. Via California Healthline:
The threshold for the number of Californians who might participate in PCIP was estimated at about 23,000 people. Since a few more than 5,000 people signed up in that first year -- and new enrollees came on board at a rate of roughly 500 a month -- it seemed that the program was financially stable and able to take on more participants.
But after the first year, state officials got their first real claims data to test that estimate, and the amount required by recipients was much higher than expected. That 23,000-person threshold estimate was reduced to 6,800 Californians.
That means (given current enrollment of 5,290 including last month's bump of 726 new subscribers), there's now only room for a little more than 1,500 new enrollees (which is about two months' worth of enrollees, given October's bump of 726 new subscribers).
Unless the federal government pumps more money into the program.
Enrollment figures in the programs are well below expectations all over the country, yet California isn't the only state that's managed to have budget troubles. In December of last year, The Washington Post reported that New Hampshire's program had blown through twice the $650,000 in federal funding it had been allotted, despite enrolling just 80 people.
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Id|11.21.11 @ 2:39PM|#
The sickest people consume the most healthcare dollars and care? Get out of town!
Externalities|11.21.11 @ 2:52PM|#
Are they downwind of a Koch Oil factory?
Bill|11.21.11 @ 3:07PM|#
You know, if you just string a bunch of unusual words together and it does not make any sense, it just comes across as crazy.
|11.21.11 @ 4:12PM|#
+1 Bill
|11.21.11 @ 4:55PM|#
+1 me
Bee Tagger|11.21.11 @ 2:52PM|#
New Hampshire's program had blown through twice the $650,000 in federal funding it had been allotted, despite enrolling just 80 people.
They better have started murdering every person #81 after discovering this.
T|11.21.11 @ 4:34PM|#
The word is euthanize, not murder. It's palliative health care, and very inexpensive!
DNC|11.21.11 @ 2:54PM|#
This is a feature, not a bug.
|11.21.11 @ 3:13PM|#
Enrollment figures in the programs are well below expectations all over the country, yet California isn't the only state that's managed to have budget troubles. In December of last year, The Washington Post reported that New Hampshire's program had blown through twice the $650,000 in federal funding it had been allotted, despite enrolling just 80 people.
I'm shocked. Shocked, I say!
*makes shocked Cassandra face*
|11.21.11 @ 3:14PM|#
Is this surprising? The vast majority of health care expenditures go to a small subset of over users. These are the pain patients, cancer patients, those with diabetes and heart disease. $650,000 will cover maybe one liver transplant, about 6 major cancer surgeries, about 18 spinal cord simulator implants, 22 knee replacements. You see why there is almost no end in sight to have much those 5000 Californians can cost us all.
|11.21.11 @ 3:20PM|#
Wait... Isn't New Hampshire supposed to be the libertarian state? The Live Free or Die state? I know free-staters who laugh at me for not moving to their libertopia.
But I guess it's really liberaltopia, where you can smoke whatever you want but the gub'ment still gets to spend like Ted Kennedy in a whorehouse.
|11.21.11 @ 3:24PM|#
It's not an unintended consequence if you intended it to happen.
Chris|11.21.11 @ 3:51PM|#
The real lesson to be learned from Europe is you can't socialize medicine unless you have a population consisting of boring people who work long hours, and who rarely get sick or indulge in risky behavior.
|11.21.11 @ 4:56PM|#
+1 Chris
|11.21.11 @ 5:09PM|#
+1 me
Chris|11.21.11 @ 5:18PM|#
Who is in the lead now, you or Warty. I don't come around enough for rectal to get obsessed with me. Am I missing out?
Chris|11.21.11 @ 5:37PM|#
I didn't ask you, you toothless crackwhore.
BakedPenguin|11.21.11 @ 5:54PM|#
+2 Chris.
BakedPenguin|11.21.11 @ 8:13PM|#
+1 BP
Anacreon|11.22.11 @ 1:08AM|#
Hey, I really know some toothless whores. One of the fun perks of working in an ER.
Warty|11.21.11 @ 9:05PM|#
I believe Epi is in the lead. If it's me, it's on the strength of that one thread where she copied my posts and repeated them 100 or so times. I just want to know what she thinks she's accomplishing.
White Rectal|11.21.11 @ 6:28PM|#
Hi, my name is White Rectal. I'm a total cunt.
Orlando Physicians|11.30.11 @ 2:01PM|#
Thanks for sharing! I look forward to viewing future articles. My Orlando Doctor is a great health care provider!