17.6M People Have Peace Of Mind. Thanks, ObamaCare

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Sarah Ferris: ObamaCare Sign-Ups Swell To 17.6 Million

A total of 17.6 million people have gained coverage under ObamaCare, according to a revised government estimate. The newest figure, which is based on national survey data, shows that 1.2 million more people had signed up for healthcare over the last five years than previously thought. The revised total includes 15.3 million people who gained coverage through the individual marketplace or through Medicaid. It also includes 2.3 million young adults who gained coverage because they were able to remain on a parent’s plan until they turn 26.

The new data also puts the Obama administration ahead of the health insurance gains estimated by the Congressional Budget Office for 2015. The CBO had predicted roughly 17 million people would gain coverage by 2015.  Health and Human Services (HHS) chief Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced the new figure Tuesday during a speech at Howard University Hospital, where she also highlighted the law’s impact on black and Hispanic populations. “This progress has been even bigger for people of color,” she said, pointing to the 10 percent drop in the uninsured rate among black Americans.

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JUST IN: ObamaCare sign-ups swell to 17.6 million hill.cm/o8POF35 http://t.co/ZhSKNoJEuz

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The Hill (@thehill) September 22, 2015

A Historic Drop In The Uninsured Rate. Thanks, ObamaCare

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Dan Diamond: Thanks, Obamacare: America’s Uninsured Rate Is Below 10% For First Time Ever

For the first time in more than 50 years of surveys, the CDC on Wednesday reported that more than 90% of Americans — 90.8% of us, to be specific — have health insurance. Until now, no major survey had ever found that the uninsured rate in America has hit single digits. The data comes from the National Health Interview Survey, which the CDC and the Census Bureau have been conducting for more than 50 years.

Nearly 16 million fewer Americans were uninsured in early 2015 compared to 2013. And based on past precedent, there’s every expectation that the uninsured rate will continue to go down as enrollment in the ACA exchanges and Medicaid keeps going up. Having more insured customers is good for the health care industry, too. Hospitals are reporting huge jobs gains, and the health care sector is reporting its best 12-month stretch of new jobs in almost 25 years.

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I'm 36. I grew up poor...and I used health insurance for the 1st time in my life today. I can't even tell you what a big deal it is to me.

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Cristela Alonzo (@cristela9) September 05, 2015

It's been 33 years since America's uninsured problem was this small → bit.ly/1PQDMJi via @voxdotcom

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HHS.gov (@HHSGov) August 26, 2015

President Obama: A Champion For Women

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Laura Bassett: White House Finds Way Around Hobby Lobby Birth Control Decision

The Obama administration on Friday issued its final rules for employers who morally object to covering birth control in their health insurance plans. The accommodation ensures that all employed women, unless they work for a place of worship, will still have their birth control covered at no cost to them, even if their employers refuse to cover it. Under the new rule, a closely held for-profit company that objects to covering contraception in its health plan can write a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services stating its objection.

HHS will then notify a third-party insurer of the company’s objection, and the insurer will provide birth control coverage to the company’s female employees at no additional cost to the company. “Women across the country should have access to preventive services, including contraception,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a statement. “At the same time, we recognize the deeply held views on these issues, and we are committed to securing women’s access to important preventive services at no additional cost under the Affordable Care Act, while respecting religious beliefs.”

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White House finds way around Hobby Lobby birth control decision huff.to/1D5RH7e http://t.co/muMOFk12TK

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HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) July 11, 2015

Free coverage of birth control will now be guaranteed for all women read.bi/1D5PEjB http://t.co/mEATG1lu9k

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Business Insider (@businessinsider) July 10, 2015

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Obama administration unveils plan to provide women with free birth control even if their employer opts out: apne.ws/1GcVUFW

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The Associated Press (@AP) July 10, 2015

Breaking: Birth Control Coverage Guaranteed for All — Despite Religious Exemptions yahoo.com/health/breakin… Thanks, Obama!

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Steph Herold (@StephHerold) July 10, 2015

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Obama admin issued workaround to Hobby Lobby, ensures women free access to birth control no matter where they work yahoo.com/health/breakin…

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laynie (@laynier) July 10, 2015

@CecileRichards YES!!! My $134 a month birth control pills are FREEEEE!!! THANKS OBAMA!! ❤³

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Tally (@bardgal) July 08, 2015

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Obama administration sets final birth control coverage rules for employers -birth control with no co pays! on.wsj.com/1HSy87P

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Amy Tidd (@AmyTidd) July 10, 2015

Whenever I pick up my *free* birth control from my conservative Mormon pharmacist I make sure to shout, "Thanks, Obama!"

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Heather B. Armstrong (@dooce) July 01, 2015

Biggest Drop In Uninsured Rates?! Thanks, ObamaCare

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Sarah Kliff: Under Obamacare, America’s Uninsured Rate Has Fallen 35 Percent

14.1 million Americans have gained health plans since Obamacare’s coverage expansion began in 2014.
An additional 2.3 million young adults gained coverage between 2010 and 2013 — after Obamacare began requiring employer plans to offer dependent coverage through age 26. Federal officials say this is the largest drop in the uninsured rate since 1965, when Medicare and Medicaid began.

A new report from Health and Human Services finds that the uninsured rate has fallen from 20.3 percent prior to the health-care law down to 13.2 percent at the start of 2015. This is a 7.1 percentage-point decrease in the uninsured rate — or, to put it another way, a 35-percent decline in the number of Americans who lack insurance coverage. “Nothing since the implementation of Medicare and Medicaid has come close to this kind of change,” says Richard Frank, assistant secretary for evaluation and planning at Health and Human Services.

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RT to spread the word: America's uninsured rate is the lowest it's ever been → go.wh.gov/8Ey8Yz #ACAWorks http://t.co/iF0uPFFuRg

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 29, 2015

Under Obamacare, America’s uninsured rate has fallen 35 percent bit.ly/1GtCnTb http://t.co/qKdA1F6tky

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Vox (@voxdotcom) June 25, 2015

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"The Affordable Care Act still stands, it is working, and it is here to stay." —@POTUS: go.wh.gov/9WT6nm #ACAWorks

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 27, 2015

"So far more than 16 million uninsured Americans have gained coverage." —@POTUS on the Affordable Care Act: go.wh.gov/9WT6nm #ACAWorks

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 28, 2015

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"We’re going to keep working to make health care in America even better and more affordable." —@POTUS: go.wh.gov/9WT6nm #ACAWorks

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 28, 2015

"If you’re a parent, you can keep your kids on your plan until they turn 26." —@POTUS: go.wh.gov/9WT6nm #ACAWorks

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 27, 2015

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The Affordable Care Act is here to stay. And it's benefiting millions of Americans → go.wh.gov/8Ey8Yz #ACAWorks snpy.tv/1TPbUZq

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 29, 2015

Amen. go.wh.gov/8Ey8Yz #ACAWorks http://t.co/VLHINdv9dU

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 29, 2015

$7 Billion In Savings?! Thanks, ObamaCare

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Tara Culp-Ressler: Thanks To Obamacare, Hospitals Saved More Than $7 Billion Last Year

According to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), hospitals saved at least $7.4 billion last year, thanks in large part to reforms under Obamacare. The savings reflect a reduction in the so-called “uncompensated care” that hospitals provide to uninsured Americans, and are even greater than HHS officials predicted they would be at the beginning of this year. Since people without insurance typically don’t have any means to cover their medical bills, the cost of their treatment ends up falling on the hospital itself. Therefore, as more people gain coverage, it become less expensive for hospitals to care for their patients.

More than 16 million previously uninsured Americans have gotten covered under Obamacare, contributing to the biggest drop in the national uninsurance rate over the past four decades. The savings have been most pronounced in the states that agreed to accept Obamacare’s optional Medicaid expansion, which seeks to extend public insurance to additional low-income people. Nearly 70 percent of the savings documented in the HHS report — a total of $5 billion — occurred in the 29 states that have expanded Medicaid. And, if every state had agreed to add more people to their Medicaid rolls, their hospitals could have saved an extra $1.4 billion.

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Thanks to Obamacare, hospitals saved more than $7 billion last year thkpr.gs/3637685

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mia farrow (@MiaFarrow) March 23, 2015

Like other surveys, a new RAND analysis finds a 16.9 million drop in uninsured adults as the ACA went into effect. content.healthaffairs.org/content/early/…

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Larry Levitt (@larry_levitt) May 06, 2015

16.4M Thanks to President Barack Obama

New from ASPE: 16.4 million people have gained coverage since the ACA's coverage provisions took effect #ACAisWorking aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports…

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  (@HHS_ASPE) March 16, 2015

As the ACA began, there were 13.0 million fewer uninsured by the end of 2014 and 16.4 million by the start of 2015. aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports…

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Larry Levitt (@larry_levitt) March 16, 2015

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In May 2013 CBO projected a 14 million decline in the uninsured for 2014 vs. baseline. Pretty darn close to reality. cbo.gov/sites/default/…

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Larry Levitt (@larry_levitt) March 16, 2015

New report out from @HHS_ASPE estimates that Obamacare has reduced the number of uninsured Americans by 16.4m people. 1.usa.gov/1x8gtGc

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Margot Sanger-Katz (@sangerkatz) March 16, 2015

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And--I should note--total reduction includes 2.3M young adults who got covered before last year.

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Margot Sanger-Katz (@sangerkatz) March 16, 2015

In 2013, @uscbo estimated a 13M reduction in the uninsured in 2014; 16.4m is more than that--though data runs through part of this year.

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Margot Sanger-Katz (@sangerkatz) March 16, 2015

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What happens when you beat back over 50 ACA repeal efforts? 16.4 million people who didn't have insurance - get it. 1.usa.gov/1BJqJTS

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David Simas (@Simas44) March 16, 2015

Chart of the Day!!! http://t.co/7SUYwgL41J

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David Simas (@Simas44) March 16, 2015

ObamaCare Sets Another Record

 

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Yasmeen Abutaleb: Nearly 11.7 Million Signed Up For Obamacare Health Insurance: HHS

Nearly 11.7 million people have either signed up or re-enrolled for insurance coverage under the U.S. healthcare reform law, more than the 9.1 million predicted by the Obama administration,health officials said on Tuesday. As of Feb. 22, about 8.8 million signed up in one of the 37 states that use online exchanges operated by the federal government and 2.85 million were in the 14 states, and Washington, D.C., that operate their own exchanges, the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. In the states that use the federal exchange, called healthcare.gov,

87 percent qualified for a tax credit averaging $263 per month, according to HHS. It said more than half of consumers in states using healthcare.gov bought a plan that cost $100 or less after tax credits. Enrollment across the board has largely exceeded expectations, health officials said. The enrollment period for 2015 coverage opened on Nov. 15 and closed on Feb. 15. More than 4.1 million people under 35 years old have purchased health insurance through state and federal exchanges, the HHS said Tuesday, about a third of enrollees.

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ICYMI: Nearly 11.7 million Americans enrolled in health care through the open marketplace. ofa.bo/f3a7

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Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 11, 2015

The number of uninsured Americans continues to drop within the first two months of 2015: ofa.bo/f3Oz

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Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 05, 2015

Medicare Saves $15B On Prescription Drug Costs. Thanks, ObamaCare

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Sarah Ferris: Medicare Drug Costs Shrinking Under ObamaCare

ObamaCare has led to substantial savings in prescription drug costs and a strong increase in the use of preventive services, administration officials announced Tuesday. “Our parents and grandparents on Medicare saved more than $15 billion on prescription drugs since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said. Those savings amount to nearly $1,600 per person enrolled in Medicare — an increase from about $1,400 in average savings last year. Tackling prescription drug costs has been a major goal of the Obama administration, pledging to close the coverage gap, known as the “doughnut hole,” by 2020. Because

Medicare drug plans have a limit on how much they pay for medication, beneficiaries are forced to pay for their treatments out of pocket before their catastrophic coverage kicks in. Under ObamaCare, recipients in the “doughnut hole” receive a rebate or discount from the government to help them save on prescription drug costs until the gap can ultimately be closed. Burwell also highlighted the growing use of preventive healthcare coverage under ObamaCare — another top issue for the administration. Many provider groups only signed onto healthcare reform with the promise that preventive care would be a central tenet. Nearly 40 million people have used at least one of Medicare’s free preventive services in the last year alone, the secretary said. Nearly 5 million enrollees received the annual wellness exam.

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Thanks Mitch! @StevenTDennis: Uninsured rate cut in half in 1 year in Mitch McConnell's Kentucky http://t.co/ebsQFvrU8T”

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BWD (@theonlyadult) February 24, 2015

Medicare drug costs shrinking under ObamaCare: ow.ly/JAOda

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The Hill (@thehill) February 24, 2015

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The COMPLETE 2015 Graph: 32 Million People in 1 Image acasignups.net/15/02/23/compl… @ThePlumLineGS @DemFromCT @Jed_Graham http://t.co/vSPRThLI2x

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Charles Gaba (@charles_gaba) February 23, 2015

Medicare drug costs shrinking under ObamaCare bit.ly/1LCBPi4

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The Hill Healthwatch (@hillhealthwatch) February 24, 2015

Lowered Healthcare Costs? Thanks, ObamaCare

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Tara Culp-Ressler: How The Obama Administration Is Getting Serious About Lowering Health Costs

The Obama administration unveiled an ambitious plan on Monday that will make historic changes to the way that doctors get paid. The ultimate goal is to tie more of doctors’ payments to the quality of care they provide, hopefully driving down the trillions of dollars that the U.S. currently spends on health services every year. The reforms are targeted at Medicare, the government program that provides coverage for Americans over the age of 64. Most Medicare providers currently get paid through what’s called a “fee for service” system. They’re paid a flat free for every test or procedure they perform, regardless of whether those services actually improve their patients’ health. Now, the administration wants to shift the program so that more of its payments are tied to health outcomes.

Essentially, that means providers will be rewarded for keeping their patients healthy, and penalized for unnecessary services that don’t advance that goal. Proponents of payment reform are encouraged by the move — which they see as a serious step toward creating a health care system that’s based on the value, rather than the sheer volume, of services. The Affordable Care Act has been slowly moving in this direction over the past few years. The health law created alternative payment models — called “Accountable Care Organizations,” or ACOs — to incentivize providers to work together to improve patient care and cut down on costs. So far, there’s been some evidence that ACOs are successfully improving the quality of health care for Medicare patients. Some are also starting to generate cost savings. If ACOs save enough money, the participating providers earn bonuses, a goal that about a fourth of of them hit last year.

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How the Obama Administration is getting serious about lowering health costs thkpr.gs/3615915

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ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) January 27, 2015

1st clear indication we're leaving fee-for-service in much of healthcare. As I said in 2009, it's the right direction nyr.kr/1zqEwRq

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Atul Gawande (@Atul_Gawande) January 27, 2015

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Rock climb ✓ Work out ✓ #GetCovered ✓ A healthy lifestyle includes getting health coverage: healthcare.gov http://t.co/Jwxu3Bo4mt

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The First Lady (@FLOTUS) January 29, 2015

If you need health insurance, find a plan that's right for you right now: ofa.bo/g2Y7 #GetCovered

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Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 26, 2015

The President’s Day

President Barack Obama speaks at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., about the fight against Ebola. The president is highlighting advances in research for an Ebola vaccine and pushing Congress to approve his request for $6.2 billion to confront the disease abroad and to secure against its spread in the United States

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 President Barack Obama tours the Vaccine Research Center with Dr. Nancy Sullivan, U.S. Secretary of HHS Sylvia Burwell, and Dr. Anthony Fauci to talk about Ebola, during a visit to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland

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"I’m calling on Congress to approve our emergency funding request to fight this disease." —President Obama #Ebola http://t.co/waIFFNyACz

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 02, 2014

"The American people have sent Washington a pretty clear message: Find areas where you agree…work together and get the job done." —Obama

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 02, 2014

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