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U.S. NEWS Friday 1 November 2019

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Stable costs but more uninsured as 'Obamacare' sign-ups open

By RICARDO ALONSO- perience and keeping the touting, though it can cost
ZALDIVAR Associated Press HealthCare.gov website up to 60% less. One reason
WASHINGTON (AP) — More running smoothly. is "short-term plans" don't
Americans are going with- Democrats who once tout- have to cover pre-existing
out health insurance, and ed the health overhaul as a medical conditions.
stable premiums plus great- generational achievement With the economy strong,
er choice next year under now see it as a stepping it's unusual for progress to
the Obama health law stone, not the final word. falter on America's unin-
aren't likely to reverse that. Presidential candidates sured rate. Yet the Census
As sign-up season starts on Bernie Sanders and Eliza- Bureau reported that 27.5
Friday, the Affordable Care beth Warren would bring million people were unin-
Act has shown remarkable the 20 million people cov- sured in 2018, an increase
resiliency, but it has also ered under the law into a of nearly 1.9 million from
fallen short of expectations. new government-run sys- 2017, and the first time the
Even many Democrats tem for all Americans. "It's rate went up in a decade. John Gold, self-employed graphics designer, poses at a farm-
want to move on. time for the next step," says Caroline Pearson, a health er's market outside his office in Portland, Maine, Wednesday,
President Donald Trump Warren. insurance expert with Oct. 23, 2019.
doesn't conceal his dis- Former Vice President Joe NORC at the University of Associated Press
dain for "Obamacare" and Biden, who asserts "Obam- Chicago, a nonpartisan
keeps trying to dismantle acare is working," is propos- research organization, said "It's a challenging proposi- 2017 to 11.4 million this year.
the program. ing a major expansion of she doesn't expect to see tion unless you are getting The drop has come mainly
During President Barack current ACA subsidies and ACA coverage gains in a big subsidy or really need in HealthCare.gov states,
Obama's tenure, open en- a whole new "public op- 2020. insurance." where the federal govern-
rollment involved a nation- tion" insurance program. "Premiums are still expen- Enrollment has been slowly ment runs sign-up season.
al campaign to get people For John Gold, a self-em- sive for people who have eroding since Trump took State-run insurance mar-
signed up. The program's ployed graphic designer other costs," said Pearson. office, from 12.2 million in kets have held their own.q
complexity was always a from Maine, health care
problem, and many lower- that's stable, affordable
income people still don't and comprehensive still
understand they can get feels more like a goal than
financial help with premi- a reality. He's been cov-
ums. ered by the ACA since
That can translate to sever- 2014.
al million uninsured people "It's a great start, but it's not
unaware they qualify for the be-all and end-all of
help. An analysis Thursday health care," he said.
from the consulting firm Health care "takes up too
Avalere Health found that much of my budget, and it
low-income residents in doesn't need to," explained
96% of counties served by Gold, who lives near Port-
HealthCare.gov can find land. "There are appoint-
a basic "bronze" plan at no ments my doctor suggests,
cost to them, factoring in that I turn down because
subsidies. Bronze plans are it's going to cost me $300."
skimpy, but experts say it Gold's income fluctuates,
beats going uninsured. and when he makes too
Standard "silver" plans are much to qualify for subsi-
available at no additional dized premiums, he must
cost in 25% of counties, and pay full freight. He's in his
people eligible for gener- 50s, so his monthly cost is
ous subsidies can find more higher, about $700. On top
robust "gold" plans for zero of that, the plan comes
premium in 23% of coun- with a $4,000 deductible
ties, the study found. and an $8,000 out-of-pock-
But the Trump administra- et limit, potentially leaving
tion says it's not specifically him on the hook for a lot
advertising that. Early on, more.
it slashed the Obamacare Nonetheless, Gold said
ad budget. Officials say he hasn't looked at the
they're focused on provid- cheaper alternative the
ing a quality sign-up ex- Trump administration is