Biden: Coming in 2 Million Short on Obamacare Would Be "a Hell of a Start"

Speaking in Minnesota, Vice President Joe Biden talked up Obamacare's enrollment problems, including the program's awful start and lagging enrollments. Not to worry, the VP said:

Biden acknowledged that "we may not get to 7 million, but if we get to 5 or 6 million that's a hell of a start."

In total, nearly 3.3 million had enrolled through the end of January. That's about 75 percent of what the administration had hoped to achieve by that point in the open enrollment period.

Channeling the wisdom he learned over years of occasionally plagiarizing other people's life stories, Biden also offered up this defense of the program's rollout:

"We didn't want this to start off as shaky as it did," he said. "But it's complicated."

Yes, it is, Joe. Yes, it is.

Whole thing here.

Let's assume that the program only enrolls 5 million in the individual markets. Let's further assume that the demographic mix of those people isn't the acturial balance needed to keep costs the way they were predicted. What happens next? At what point does "a hell of a start" just turn into a hell of a program? Find answers in Reason's ongoing Obamacare coverage.

Via Reason 24/7.

In 2009, Reason TV celebrated "Joe Biden: Real Man of Genius."

Comments

[wareagle]

Uncle Joe is one of those characters who is necessary as a counter balance to the bullshit of Obama. If he wasn't real, Biden would have to be made up if only for the lulz.

[Suthenboy]

Yeah, I think they want him to make Obo look good by comparison, but Obo is soooooooo bad Joe cant even pull that off.

[swillfredo pareto]

My dog took a huge shit on the carpet this morning. It has more intellectual depth than Biden and Obama put together.

My dog does too.

[The Late P Brooks]

Let's further assume that the demographic mix of those people isn't the acturial balance needed to keep costs the way they were predicted.

This is true, obviously, but the best part about it is it's a tacit, if not explicit, admission that the Obamacare is not insurance; it can only ever work as a wealth transfer scheme, from the young and healthy to the old and sick.

It really is a tax!

[Rich]

"Pull my finger!"

[Fist of Etiquette]

Biden acknowledged that "we may not get to 7 million, but if we get to 5 or 6 million that's a hell of a start."

And if you only limp forward to 4 million? What do you call that?

[UnCivilServant]

A net loss.

[Sevo]

"And if you only limp forward to 4 million? What do you call that?"

Same thing they'll call it when signups stall at 3M:
It'll be a wonderful, rousing success, proving the rethugs bad thoughts can't stop proggish ideas!

My company makes wheels for goal posts, and we're having a banner year so far.

[Joe_C]

Exactly haha! They'll just keep moving the goalposts. Hopefully the public outrage will be too huge by that point. If we're lucky. But we're not. Usually.

[The Last American Hero]

I keep waiting for the Obama press conference where he goes "That's one hell of job Katy."

[PRX]

so the plan is to try and bullshit people into thinking it's a success.

[UnCivilServant]

That's stage 5 of every government project.

[C. Anacreon]

so the plan is to try and bullshit people into thinking it's a success.

It's obviously worked for Obama shill Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, who published this column yesterday saying:

Despite the Republican Party's best efforts, Obamacare is working.

[Joe_C]

1. Get everyone enrolled.
2. ????
3. Profit
4. Fail
5. Bullshit people into thinking it's a success

[Ken Shultz]

If the main job of a vice-president (besides sitting around all day hoping for an assassination) is to say all the really stupid stuff in public that the president can't? then Joe Biden is the best vice-president we've had since World War II.

I think he's so good specifically because he's so ugly and stupid. Other vice-presidents try to position themselves to run to succeed their bosses, so they try to avoid saying the stupid shit, but Mumbly Joe knows he's too ugly for that--too ugly to beat Hillary!

And unlike a Cheney, he's too stupid to be given a seat at the policy table, either, so...

So, they wind him up and send him out to say all the really stupid shit, and he's really good at that!

[The Late P Brooks]

No, Joe. You've got it ass backwards, AGAIN.
It's "UNDERpromise, and OVERdeliver", dummy.

[Suthenboy]

I thought the original figure of 7 million was a minimum they needed to make this abortion work? Now falling short of the minimum is a hell of a start?

This easily ranks in the top 5 policy failures in our history.

That is some signature achievement Obo.

[creech]

Too bad some media person didn't ask, a year ago, "What signup figure would you consider to be a failure?"

[The Last American Hero]

If just one person who didn't have insurance get covered, it will be worth it, no matter the cost.

/Team Blue

[Auric Demonocles]

Even if the cost is millions of other people who had insurance losing it!

[Joe_C]

I hate that argument every time I see it. It's the dumbest argument ever invented. It's the ends justifying the means, and the means could be destroying everyone else. It makes no sense.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

That picture of Biden is like a portrait of Slimy Politician right out of central casting.

[Andrew S.]

I blame Biden for Syracuse losing yesterday.

[Pinky]

" Let's further assume that the demographic mix of those people isn't the acturial actuarial balance needed to keep costs the way they were predicted."

FIFY