Fate of Obamacare hangs in balance at signup deadline

Jan. 31--HIGH POINT -- What if you rushed to sign up for health care coverage that later ceased to exist?

That's the seemingly surreal dilemma faced by patients here and across the nation as the enrollment deadline arrives Tuesday for the Affordable Care Act. The deadline comes as Republican President Donald Trump and Congress prepare to repeal and replace what's known as Obamacare.

Despite the uncertainty about the fate of the signature program of former Democratic President Barack Obama, patients continue to enroll for health care coverage.

Since the open enrollment period began at the first of November, Elite Benefits Group Obamacare Specialist Ed Squires has signed up more than 100 new customers locally and re-enrolled another 300 or more.

"I had people call me over the weekend about it. They're still interested," Squires told The High Point Enterprise.

Squires said that he regularly receives questions from customers about the future of the Affordable Care Act with Trump taking over the White House and Republicans maintaining control of both chambers of Congress. But so far no one has said they are declining to sign up because of the uncertainty, Squires said.

Requests for coverage picked up last week at the High Point Blue Cross Blue Shield office, said Authorized Agent Mark Thacker.

"I wrote a couple of policies over the weekend," he said.

The time frame for repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act -- and what will take its place -- remains uncertain.

The Trump administration and Republican leaders in Congress have said they want to keep aspects of the program, such as prohibiting insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, while getting rid of what they say are onerous mandates on individuals and small businesses.

Another point of contention has been cost of coverage.

Critics of the Affordable Care Act contend health care costs, premiums and deductibles have risen dramatically, creating a financial house of cards that will collapse at some point. But supporters of the program counter that financial subsidies through the government have made health coverage achievable for millions who wouldn't otherwise have it.

With subsidies, an estimated 82 percent of North Carolinians can find plans for less than $75 per month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported at the end of the Obama presidency.

During an interview with The Enterprise earlier this month, Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis said Congress shouldn't rush to phase out and replace a complex program like the Affordable Care Act. Tillis also told The Enterprise that a goal of any replacement program should be to keep the uninsured rate at least at the same level as now.

Since Affordable Care Act signups were rolled out four years ago, 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage.

During the current enrollment period that opened Nov. 1, upward of 8.8 million Americans have either signed up for new coverage or re-enrolled, according to Department of Health and Human Service figures. The total includes more than 534,000 North Carolinians.

Thacker said that all insurance agents can do at this point is guide customers through the program as it stands now.

"People call up and say, 'What's going to happen to my plan?' Things are going to change at some point. We just don't know what the changes are going to be," he said.

pjohnson@hpenews.com -- 336-888-3528 -- @HPEpaul

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