They are the 10.5 million people eligible for Obamacare coverage who, two years since enrollment began, still haven’t signed up through the insurance marketplaces created for Obamacare. Experts agree that these will be the hardest people to convince to buy healthcare coverage. They’ve remained uninsured through two signup seasons, because they don’t believe they can afford it, don’t think they need it, or haven’t heard about it.
ObamaCare’s image of invincibility is increasingly being exposed as a political illusion, at least for those with permission to be honest about the evidence. Witness the heretofore unknown phenomenon of a “free” entitlement that its beneficiaries can’t afford or don’t want.
Tens of thousands of people with modest incomes are at risk of losing health insurance subsidies in January because they did not file income tax returns, federal officials and consumer advocates say. Under federal rules, anyone who receives an insurance subsidy must file a tax return to verify that the person was eligible and received the proper amount of financial assistance based on household income.
The toll of failed co-op insurers, which were intended to challenge dominant companies that wield considerable power to dictate prices, has left about 500,000 customers scrambling to find health insurance for next year. A ninth co-op, which served Iowa and Nebraska, closed in February.