One-Fifth of New Enrollees Under Health Care Law Fail to Pay First Premium

Posted on February 13, 2014 by admin

By ROBERT PEAR, FEB. 13, 2014

WASHINGTON — One in five people who signed up for health insurance under the new health care law failed to pay their premiums on time and therefore did not receive coverage in January, insurance companies and industry experts say.

Paying the first month’s premium is the final step in completing an enrollment. Under federal rules, people must pay the initial premium to have coverage take effect. In view of the chaotic debut of the federal marketplace and many state exchanges, the White House urged insurers to give people more time, and many agreed to do so. But, insurers said, some people missed even the extended deadlines.

Insurance industry raises questions about new ObamaCare enrollment numbers being ‘inflated’

Posted on February 13, 2014 by admin

By Ed Henry, Published February 13, 2014

The Obama administration’s latest rosy scenario about 3.3 million consumers signing up for health care plans is facing skepticism from top insurance industry officials, who estimate that somewhere in the range of 10 to 25 percent of those “enrollees” actually have not yet paid their premiums and are not fully enrolled.

“The numbers are not as high as 3.3 million — it’s lower,” one senior insurance industry source told Fox News. “Those numbers are inflated. The question is how much.”

Industry officials tell Fox that some insurance companies have privately reported up to 30 percent of enrollees have not paid up, while other companies believe a higher percentage of customers have taken care of their premiums. The senior insurance industry source suggested it averages out to roughly 10 to 25 percent of enrollees not yet paying into the system, and thus those individuals do not really have insurance.

GOP hits Obama on Medicare Advantage

Posted on February 13, 2014 by admin

By Russell Berman – 02/13/14 11:00 AM EST

House Republican leaders on Thursday wrote to President Obama voicing their “deep concern” over expected cuts to the Medicare Advantage program that they blame on the president’s healthcare law.

The administration is expected to announce the 2015 rates for the popular alternative to government health insurance on Feb. 21, and insurers bracing for cuts have mounted an intense lobbying campaign to head them off.