Threatened Obamacare changes would hit thousands of state’s working poor
There is no specific plan yet, but
"It's millions of people nationwide who could lose coverage,''
Hospital officials say they're worried, too. If more people lose coverage, will they once again flood into hospital emergency rooms for routine care, driving up costs?
"It's disappointing because you've put so much effort into transforming care, making sure people have access to care in the right place,''
Since the Affordable Care Act was enacted,
The expanded coverage helped reduce the ranks of uninsured by more than half, from 11 percent in 2012 to 4.5 percent in 2015 -- the sixth lowest in the country, according to the
Today, nearly 33,300 Rhode Islanders who don't have coverage through their employers are also enrolled in commercial health plans through the state exchange, according to HealthSource RI.
The federal government has financed the state's health exchange with more than
As federal funding has dried up, state taxpayers have been paying a monthly premium surcharge of 3.5 percent -- the same as what residents in states with the federal exchange program are assessed to fund their exchange.
"An awful lot of federal money has been spent in building this,''
In other words, the health exchange could not stay afloat.
HealthSource RI is "prepared to react to any changes that may be made at the federal level,'' Sherman, the executive director, said in an e-mail. "In the meantime, our primary focus is to continue working hard to provide the customer service Rhode Islanders need to enroll in coverage during open enrollment season.''
And what about the 50,000 or more working poor who were added to the state's Medicaid rolls under the state expansion?
If the federal government rolls back its Medicaid contribution to pre-ACA levels, it's "highly implausible'' that
But not all campaign pronouncements come true -- and Wallack is hoping that the President-elect's one about repealing Obamacare is one those.
"I know
(401)277-7335
On Twitter: @LynnArditi
___
(c)2016 The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.)
Visit The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.) at www.projo.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP Announced as Sponsor for the 2016 CLM New York Conference
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News