Health Insurance - We Have to Do Better With ACA Enrollments

The Department of Health and Human Services says 3 million people have enrolled in health insurance sold on Affordable Care Act exchanges so far. Another 6.3 million have been found eligible for Medicaid. Together, that's 9.3 million people with health coverage. But, those numbers don't tell the whole story. The goal for ACA exchange enrollments, not including Medicaid, was 7 million. We're less than half way there, but more than half way through the open enrollment period. Of the 3 million new enrollees, how many have actually paid their first health insurance premium? We don't know. We do know that, if they don't pay their premiums, they won't be covered. What about the 6.3 million Medicaid eligible folks? Eligible doesn't mean covered, it just means there's a decent chance of getting Medicaid coverage if you can cut through the red tape and complete your enrollment. I doubt all 6.3 million eligible people are going to be able to cut through the red tape and cross the finish line to actually get Medicaid coverage. Additionally, some of the 6.3 million aren't new; they're renewing their existing Medicaid coverage. Seen in this light, the numbers aren't all that great. They're better than if none of these people were enrolled, but we have to do better. We must do better.