ObamaCare open enrollment round 2: IL numbers still below expectations

Illinois is now gearing up for the second round of ObamaCare open enrollment period that begins on Nov. 15. ObamaCare was passed with the promise that it would drastically reduce the number of uninsured Americans. Illinois’ state officials originally aimed to reduce the eligible uninsured adult population by half by the end of the first...

Illinois is now gearing up for the second round of ObamaCare open enrollment period that begins on Nov. 15.

ObamaCare was passed with the promise that it would drastically reduce the number of uninsured Americans. Illinois’ state officials originally aimed to reduce the eligible uninsured adult population by half by the end of the first open enrollment period, originally scheduled for the end of March 2014. Unfortunately, the state achieved only half of its goal.

According to my a new Illinois Policy Institute study, the law’s single-biggest impact has been to shuffle around those who previously had insurance, rather than dramatically reduce the ranks of the uninsured. The state fell woefully short of its goal to reduce the number of uninsured Illinoisans despite enormous resources directed toward the enrollment effort, as well as a federal mandate for individuals to obtain coverage.

This occurred despite a massive outreach effort. Federal taxpayer funds paid for “outreach” and marketing in Illinois totaling almost $155 million. When the state’s share of the potential $832 million tab for the federal ObamaCare website is included, federal taxpayers spent more than $1,000 in “acquisition” costs for every previously uninsured Illinoisan who obtained private health insurance through the ObamaCare health insurance exchange.

While the president promised to expand private health care access and affordability, the opposite has occurred. This law threw many Illinoisans out of the private coverage they had. Workers in the lowest-wage sectors are having their hours cut. Health-insurance premiums skyrocketed this year and are set to do so again next year. Many are paying more in premiums and deductibles. The nation’s top hospitals and many doctors are not available under ObamaCare health-insurance plans.

The Obama administration has been relentless in claiming that ObamaCare has been a success. It was sold with promises to substantially reduce the number of uninsured. That is how it should judged. And, by that standard, it is failing to deliver.