Questions surround Affordable Care Act’s future
"We have seen record enrollment so far during the first weeks of open enrollment,"
More than 3,000 people listened in to the town hall, with many asking questions about the ACA's future.
"My message to you here today is that the Affordable Care Act is here and it is here to stay and I am encouraging all of our citizens who are qualified for benefits under the Affordable Care Act to use it and to take advantage of it," Butterfield said.
'STILL THE LAW OF THE LAND'
More than a million people have gone to the website, which is more than a 33 percent jump over last year, according to Butterfield.
"When you look at the enrollment numbers for the
The Affordable Care Act was introduced in 2009 by President
Despite many attempts to repeal the health care program commonly referred to as Obamacare since
Before the ACA became law, more than 50 million Americans were without health insurance.
President
"Many of the proposals that have been put on the table during the Trump administration have been so far out there that they have not been able to build a 218-vote majority in the
repeal and replace?
"I don't
The task force was assembled by N.C. Insurance Commissioner
Winstead said the task force is in a holding pattern while the federal government decides what its plans on health insurance will be.
"We will twiddle our thumbs. We will look and we will read, but there is nothing you can do because we are waiting for them to act," Winstead said. "Without their action there is nothing for us to do. We can think about it. We can plan it, but there is only so much thinking and planning we can do because we have got to know what we've got to do. Once the federal government says 'This is it,' then we are going to react on how we are going to put it into force for our citizens in
Winstead acknowledges that there are no simple answers when it comes to health insurance.
"It is ultra-complex," Winstead said.
RISING obamacare COSTS
Insurance companies have seen subsidies dwindle, making rates climb, and there has been widespread fraud with the special enrollment period.
Enrollees have seen rising costs of premiums with the Affordable Care Act.
"When this whole thing first started, I had a lot of people sit in my office and cry because they got health insurance for the first time," Winstead said. "It was humbling when you've got people who sit in my office and bawl like babies because they have never had health insurance and they got it, and you felt like a hero. But now, I've got people sitting in my office crying again because they are losing it because they can't afford it."
Winstead cited his wife as an example.
"Her current cost is
"People are getting outraged. When your insurance doubles, it hurts the economy. Then you've got to make the choice -- health care or cable," Winstead said.
Keeping rates low is, in part, accomplished by getting as many people as possible to enroll in the ACA
"The Affordable Care Act is based on broad participation and the more people who are in the insurance pool, the cheaper the premiums are and the better the coverage gets," Butterfield said. "The
INDIVIDUAL MANDATE
On Thursday,
"The Affordable Care Act is not in a death spiral as some would have you believe," Butterfield said.
Butterfield said the Trump administration has taken actions to undermine the ACA by cutting the enrollment period in half, slashing the budget for navigators, people who go out into the community to try to get people to sign up, and cutting the budget for outreach efforts to educate citizens about the plan.
"They have tried to shut down HealthCare.gov for maintenance and they have done it for more than 60 hours during the open enrollment period including 12-hour maintenance blackouts on Sundays, on five consecutive Sundays," Butterfield said.
Despite attempts to undermine the system, the ACA is still working, Butterfield said.
"It's not perfect, as
OPEN ENROLLMENT
Open enrollment began
"For people who select a plan on HealthCare.gov before
Morgan said there are several ways that people can enroll in coverage.
"You can go to HealthCare.gov. You can call the marketplace, and the number for the marketplace is 1-800-318-2596. There are also assisters located throughout
More than 90 percent of people who have a plan through HealthCare.gov are getting financial assistance to pay for their premiums and some two-thirds of North Carolinians who have an ACA plan get additional help which helps lower their deductibles, co-payments and other health care costs, Morgan said.
Morgan said that even if a person has a current plan through HealthCare.gov, it is beneficial to go back in to the website to see what options are available, because plans and networks change every year.
"Plans that are offered through HealthCare.gov offer a number of rights and protections, so plans offered through HealthCare.gov offer essential health benefits," Morgan said. "These plans offer free preventive care so people can go in and get immunizations at no cost. They can get annual physicals at no cost, mammograms, colon cancer screenings and so forth. There are no annual and lifetime limits on coverage and people who have preexisting conditions are able to get coverage."
More information on the ACA and applying for coverage can be found at www.ncgetcovered.org.
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