The Congressional Budget Office
now says that the U.S. will spend less on health care in the coming decade than it predicted
before Obamacare became law. That means, even with all the spending that goes with the law—Medicaid expansion and health insurance subsidies—it's driving health care costs down. At the same time, it's
insuring a lot of people.
Nearly 11.7 million people were enrolled in an Obamacare plan through Feb. 22, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said Monday.
That number will continue to increase because of extended enrollment periods through April for those who learn of the penalties for not having health care while they are doing their taxes. But as of now, Burwell said more than half of those who signed up were new customers. […]
Almost 7.7 million people—or 87%—who chose a plan through HealthCare.gov qualified for an average tax credit of $263 per month, Burwell said.
Somewhere between
8.2 million and
nearly 10 million of those people could lose their health insurance subsidies if the Supreme Court decides to strike their subsidies. That means something terrible for those millions of people—no more health insurance. But it also means all those gains in reducing premium costs by bringing so many more people into the individual insurance market are gone. The law will crumble in the death spiral Republicans are so anxious for, as healthy people drop insurance and sick people stay in, but are subject to higher and higher premium costs.
But never mind all that. It's an article of faith for Republicans—and at least three Supreme Court justices—that this law is the greatest abomination to have been inflicted upon the nation since, well, ever. Affordable health insurance for 11.7 million people! The horror!