Common falsehoods regarding Obamacare enrollment
There are two numbers that you have heard or will hear constantly as we re-enter the debate on the future of Obamacare, 20 million and 30 million. Twenty million is the number that is stated without qualification as those who have gotten healthcare coverage for the first time through Obamacare. Thirty million is the number which has been cited as those who are at risk of losing insurance if Obamacare is repealed without a replacement.
All those insured by Medicaid expansion (11 million) and those getting insurance for the first time (4.7 million) lose their coverage – 15.7 million
Those forced onto the exchanges are unable to find any other insurance even though they were able to before Obamacare – 4.6 million
Though Obamacare added no enrollment to CHIP (children's insurance for eligible families), the Urban Institute assumed that states will reduce the number of children in the program if Obamacare is repealed – 2.2 million
Incredibly, the Urban Institute argues that the individuals who have maintained commercial insurance throughout the existence of Obamacare would suddenly lose that insurance because of great disruption to the insurance market – 7.3 million