Obama Fails At Business Too!
2014-04-18 20:01:17 UTC
As President Obama touts rising enrollment in ObamaCare and
declares "this thing is working," one Alabama county has
reported another negative side effect from the law -- widows of
county workers getting dropped from their insurance.
A report by Huntsville-based WHNT said that more than a dozen
widows of retired Madison County employees lost their coverage
earlier this year.
They originally had been covered under the county's self-insured
plan. But, according to WHNT, officials learned that it would
have been too expensive to keep providing that coverage and
comply with the Affordable Care Act's coverage mandates.
The county instead joined a statewide network that dozens of
county governments already are in. That plan, though, does not
offer coverage to husbands and wives when their government
employee spouses die.
WHNT reported that one county commissioner is trying to restore
the insurance for widows of county workers, though it's unclear
whether he'll be successful.
"What I'm trying to do is get this coverage back to them,"
Madison County Commissioner Roger Jones said. "A lot of these
people are on fixed incomes. Some of them are living on Social
Security and very little else, and health insurance is very
important to them."
The widows reportedly still get 18 months of Cobra coverage once
their old insurance expires.
The Madison County case comes as the Obama administration
aggressively steps up its defense of the law and its
performance. At a surprise press conference on Thursday, Obama
reported that 8 million people have signed up on the federal and
state insurance exchanges.
"This thing is working," Obama said, adding: "The repeal debate
is and should be over."
The 8 million figure is a marked improvement over sign-up
figures in late 2013, when the exchange websites were emerging
from the disastrous launch in October. Still, the administration
has not broken down the numbers to get at the heart of how many
people really have obtained coverage under the law.
Many people were dropped from their old insurance policies last
year, and then went into the exchanges. The administration has
not said how many of the 8 million were previously insured, and
how many were previously uninsured -- those figures would help
paint a picture of the net gain in coverage.
The administration also has not said how many of the 8 million
have paid their first month's premium, and technically are
enrolled.
Republicans bristled at the president's tone in the White House
briefing room Thursday afternoon. While the president cites the
millions gaining coverage and new protections under the law,
Republicans note that many also have lost their old policies
despite being told they wouldn't.
"While the President repeatedly pats himself on the back over
the number of people that were forced to sign up for his
insurance scheme, millions of Americans are experiencing real
and significant repercussions," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said
in a statement. "The President has now taken to mocking those
that point out the negative consequences. The impacts are very
real.
"It's clear that the President remains totally focused on
coverage instead of care. He is either ignoring reports from
across the country -- or he isn't hearing them. Either way, he
is out of touch with Americans who have lost their doctor, had
their insurance cancelled and watched their premiums spike all
because of this failing law."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/18/widows-alabama-county-
workers-dropped-from-health-plans/?intcmp=trending
declares "this thing is working," one Alabama county has
reported another negative side effect from the law -- widows of
county workers getting dropped from their insurance.
A report by Huntsville-based WHNT said that more than a dozen
widows of retired Madison County employees lost their coverage
earlier this year.
They originally had been covered under the county's self-insured
plan. But, according to WHNT, officials learned that it would
have been too expensive to keep providing that coverage and
comply with the Affordable Care Act's coverage mandates.
The county instead joined a statewide network that dozens of
county governments already are in. That plan, though, does not
offer coverage to husbands and wives when their government
employee spouses die.
WHNT reported that one county commissioner is trying to restore
the insurance for widows of county workers, though it's unclear
whether he'll be successful.
"What I'm trying to do is get this coverage back to them,"
Madison County Commissioner Roger Jones said. "A lot of these
people are on fixed incomes. Some of them are living on Social
Security and very little else, and health insurance is very
important to them."
The widows reportedly still get 18 months of Cobra coverage once
their old insurance expires.
The Madison County case comes as the Obama administration
aggressively steps up its defense of the law and its
performance. At a surprise press conference on Thursday, Obama
reported that 8 million people have signed up on the federal and
state insurance exchanges.
"This thing is working," Obama said, adding: "The repeal debate
is and should be over."
The 8 million figure is a marked improvement over sign-up
figures in late 2013, when the exchange websites were emerging
from the disastrous launch in October. Still, the administration
has not broken down the numbers to get at the heart of how many
people really have obtained coverage under the law.
Many people were dropped from their old insurance policies last
year, and then went into the exchanges. The administration has
not said how many of the 8 million were previously insured, and
how many were previously uninsured -- those figures would help
paint a picture of the net gain in coverage.
The administration also has not said how many of the 8 million
have paid their first month's premium, and technically are
enrolled.
Republicans bristled at the president's tone in the White House
briefing room Thursday afternoon. While the president cites the
millions gaining coverage and new protections under the law,
Republicans note that many also have lost their old policies
despite being told they wouldn't.
"While the President repeatedly pats himself on the back over
the number of people that were forced to sign up for his
insurance scheme, millions of Americans are experiencing real
and significant repercussions," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said
in a statement. "The President has now taken to mocking those
that point out the negative consequences. The impacts are very
real.
"It's clear that the President remains totally focused on
coverage instead of care. He is either ignoring reports from
across the country -- or he isn't hearing them. Either way, he
is out of touch with Americans who have lost their doctor, had
their insurance cancelled and watched their premiums spike all
because of this failing law."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/18/widows-alabama-county-
workers-dropped-from-health-plans/?intcmp=trending