It’s probably a little bit of a stretch, but House Republicans issued a statement this afternoon slamming the Connecticut health exchange - Access Health CT – calling the program “Malloycare,” a pun on the popular Obamacare nickname for the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans slammed the administration based on a report from the Henry K. Kaiser Foundation that states Connecticut is has the third largest subsidies for health care premiums in the country. Considering that the state is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, that doesn’t entirely come as a surprise, however.
The GOP also says the exchange fell “well short” of its goal to enroll 100,000 residents, noting that the exchange reported that as of April 1, about 76,597 had signed up for plans.
Read the full press release here.
Obama/Malloycare Ranks 3rd Most Expensive in Country,
State Falls Short of Enrollment Goals Despite Claims
HARTFORD - Taxpayer-funded subsidies for Obama/Malloycare premiums are the third highest in the country and, despite claims by the state’s healthcare exchange, Connecticut fell short of its enrollment goals, House Republican Leader Larry Cafero said today.
Nearly three-quarters of those who enrolled in the mandated healthcare program in Connecticut will receive taxpayer-funded subsidies that will run on average $4,110 per person, third highest behind only Mississippi and Wyoming.
“Behind all the hype surrounding the last minute surge in enrollments are the facts. Connecticut fell short of its stated goals of 100,000 people signing up for private health plans, and we have the third most expensive subsidized programs in the country,’’ House Republican Leader Larry Cafero said. “In addition, we have still not been given any information regarding how many of these people already had private insurance and lost their coverage.’’
According to a report released by the Henry K. Kaiser Foundation, 73 percent of state enrollees qualify for subsidies that will total $172 million a year, or $4,110 per person. Wyoming is the most subsidized at $4,980 and Mississippi is second at $4,370.
Access Health CT reported on April 1 that 76,597 people had enrolled in private insurance plans, well short of the 100,000 stated goal for the first quarter of 2014. Many more, 121,281, went on the expanded Medicaid rolls.
“What we really need to know, and have not been able to find out, is how many new enrollees lost their coverage and were forced to go onto the exchange after they had been repeatedly told they could keep their coverage and their doctors,’’ Cafero said. “Connecticut’s website for enrolling people may have worked better than the disastrous federal program, but this still represents a massive expansion of welfare that taxpayers will have to foot.’’
Cafero said that House Republicans have introduced legislation to require disclosure of how many people previously had insurance before they went to the state healthcare exchange.
“This is critical information that we need to have,’’ he said.