Failing Obamacare Enrollment Less Than Half of Forecast

Obamacare enrollment is less than half (11.1 million) of the 24 million 2013 Congressional Budget Office forecast, forcing major insurance companies out of the public exchanges created by the Affordable Healthcare Act, as The Washington Post's Carolyn Y. Johnson wrote Saturday.

"Enrollment is key, first and foremost," Sara R. Collins, vice president at the Commonwealth Fund, which funds healthcare research, told the paper. "They have to have this critical mass of people so that, by the law of averages, you're going to get a mix of healthy and less healthy people."

The report cited the following reasons Americans have not used the healthcare exchanges as much as expected:

• Overestimating the number of people who would lost their insurance through their employer.
• Difficulties in the online registration process for the uninsured.
• Tax penalty for the uninsured is not enough of a deterrent.
• High deductibles even for those that qualify for subsidies.

Aetna said its withdrawal from exchanges is based on too many sick people signing up for care and not enough heathly ones, the report stated. 

The Republican party platform believes the lack of signups and affordable marketplace options are reasons for a repeal of Obamacare.  The Democratic left is calling for a government-paid public option where there are few choices. 

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