310,000 healthcare consumers could lose coverage come September if they don’t prove eligibility
(CNN) - Over 300,000 individuals who enrolled in a healthcare plan through the Affordable Care Act could lose their coverage come the end of September if they fail to provide the proper documentation demonstrating legal residency, according to the Obama administration.
The issue at hand is not necessarily an immigration status problem, but a data-matching issue.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
The cases refer to individuals who have inconsistencies in the information they provided when they initially enrolled in a healthcare plan. The CMS, which oversees the federal healthcare exchange, said it has been reaching out to affected individuals via email, phone calls and letters, in English and Spanish, for several months. And while many cases have been resolved, there are around 310,000 consumers with outstanding documentation issues.
"We've closed about 450,000 of these cases and have an additional 210,000 cases in progress," CMS administrator Marilyn Tavenner said in a statement. "However, some still have not responded. We want as many consumers as possible to remain enrolled in Marketplace coverage, so we are giving these individuals a last chance to submit their documents before their coverage through the Marketplace will end."
Consumers have until September 5 to provide the necessary documents, and coverage will end for those who do not on September 30 - although if an individual provides information that resolves their issue after the September 5 deadline they will be eligible to re-enroll in the marketplace through a special enrollment period.
Immigration statuses that qualify for coverage under the ACA are listed on the healthcare.gov website. The list includes lawful permanent residents, refugees, victims of trafficking, among others. Officials from HHS caution that these data issues may not necessarily be an problem with the consumer's eligibility for a plan, but rather a bureaucratic problem.
Opponents of the ACA have long warned that the enrollment site is not adept at verifying the eligibility of applicants, and these latest numbers are another example of that on-going issue. A report released in June from the office of the inspector general for the HHS found "deficiencies" in some of the controls meant to prevent fraudulent or incorrect information submitted by applicants to the Federal marketplace.
The 310,000 cases only refers to those who enrolled in federal or partnership marketplaces. The 14 states that have implemented their own healthcare marketplaces are not included, as they have separate data respective to their state's enrollees.
You know why they have issues with immigration with Obamacare? Because they don't even have any option to upload a copy of your Green Card (Permanant Resident Card) where they allow illegals to get free insurance.
People, this is all very small potatoes! The REAL Obamacare mega-disasters are yet to be implemented!! The employer mandates will be a nuclear explosion in our healthcare system as employers who offer healthcare to tens of millions of Americans are forced to act. Why do you think Obama delayed the implementation until AFTER NOVEMBER?
And then there is the big luxury tax that is supposed to kick in! Do you think the unions will get an exemption from their buddies the Democrats while the rest of us get the screws? Count on it.
Bottom line is you ain't seen the worse of Obamacare yet. Not even close!!
-single payer? Ask Canadian. You see. They say taxes are killing them, waiting period in Hospitals is for ever. Ask Italians. They say the same thing. In fact this is best.
But El Presidente promised us free food, free housing, free schooling, free shoes, free phones, free healthcare! Amnesty! Why is he taking it all away!!!
Tommy G
Single Payer
A single payer system is the ONLY system that will allow us, as an entire nation, to negotiate better health care prices.
-
This is a lie because when the government controls all of healthcare there is no "negotiation" to control prices. There are government dictated prices just as there are now with Medicare. There are government dictated doctor payments (which is what the joke 'Doc Fix" is that keeps getting bypassed). What you end up with is many hospitals and clinics going out of business and massive healthcare shortages with long wait times, resulting in death, JUST like at the VA.
_____________________
Gee Tommy, do explain then why our nation is the only First World nation without single payer system, and our health care is both the most expensive in the world, and only a little better than Costa Rica's (meaning ours is rated 38th) in quality. Ponder this- with a single payer system, i.e. one not run for-profit, costs are automatically lower (no one needs to get rich after all), and because everyone has it, the population as a whole is healthier-further reducing costs.
One can only imagine where it would all be if the GOP ran it.....
Obamacare Summary:
1. I wasn't able to keep my doctor. I was lied to.
2. I wasn't able to keep my hospital. I was lied to again.
3. I wasn't able to keep my healthcare plan that I liked. I was lied to a third time
4. I am still waiting for my $2500 a year savings. I was lied to a fourth time.
5. I am paying a higher deductible than I was. I am getting screwed once.
6. My new plan costs MORE, not less. I am getting screwed over twice.
7. I am paying 21 new Obamacare taxes. I am getting screwed over three times.
And the this disaster still isn't fully implemented. Do I really need to see more given what I have seen already?! I will never vote for a Democrat ever again.
So 10+ million newly insured less some fraction of the 310 thousand that will not supply proof needed will still be around 10 million.