Rock Hill Herald Logo

No need for a rush to judgment on Obamacare | Rock Hill Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
  • Customer Service
  • Mobile & Apps
  • Newsletters
  • Archives

    • All News
    • Local News
    • Local Traffic Cam
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Business
    • Education
    • NIE
    • Crime
    • More News
    • Andrew Dys
    • Nation/World
    • Politics/Government
    • Weird News
    • Databases
    • Down Home Magazine
    • Physicians Directory
    • Fort Mill Times
    • Fort Mill Times Sports
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Submit a Letter to the Editor
    • All Sports
    • Panthers
    • College
    • Winthrop
    • High School
    • High School Football
    • Auto Racing
    • Politics
    • Elections
  • Obituaries
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • To the Contrary
    • James Werrell
    • Palmetto Opinion
    • All Living
    • Community
    • Weddings
    • Engagements
    • Anniversaries
    • Births
    • Religion
    • Family
    • Home & Garden
    • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Books
    • Calendar
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Horoscopes

  • Legals
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds

Local

No need for a rush to judgment on Obamacare

    ORDER REPRINT →

April 19, 2014 09:06 AM

The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday:

The first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act ended with roughly 7.5 million people obtaining policies through the new state insurance exchanges. That’s an amazing and welcome result, considering how badly many of the exchanges stumbled when sign-ups began in October. Nevertheless, it’s far too early to judge the success or failure of the health-care law, given that key tests of the program’s sustainability have yet to be passed.

Almost all of the exchanges got off to a wretched start, particularly the federally managed ones that shared a mind-bogglingly dysfunctional website. And yet, sign-ups increased dramatically as the deadline for enrolling approached.

It’s hard to say how much headway the law is making toward insuring the uninsured, however. The exchanges didn’t measure how many of their new enrollees had previously lacked coverage, as opposed to the number who signed up because their old policies had been canceled or because they were no longer covered at work. Although two recent surveys show a sharp drop in the overall percentage of uninsured Americans, analysts at Rand Corp. say most of the increase came from people gaining coverage through an employer, not the exchanges. And the refusal of about half the states to expand their Medicaid programs has left millions of poor American adults unable to afford coverage.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Nor do we know yet whether the exchanges’ customers will find their new plans adequate. Many of those who signed up have yet to seek treatment from their new plans’ more restricted networks of providers, one of the key cost-saving steps insurers took in Year One. Another outstanding question is what will happen to premiums at the exchanges, which will depend to a great degree on the demand for healthcare from the new enrollees.

With any complex law, some pitfalls don’t become clear until after implementation begins in earnest. That process is well under way now for the Affordable Care Act, and it’s encouraging to see the exchanges exceed their enrollment targets despite the manifold problems they’ve experienced. And we clearly are making progress toward the goal of increased insurance coverage. It’s just too early to tell whether that progress is truly sustainable.

  Comments  

Videos

Listen: York County Sheriff releases 911 audio from Rock Hill triple shooting

York County Sheriffs looking for ‘armed and dangerous’ suspect in Rock Hill shootings

View More Video

Trending Stories

USPS helps bust up marijuana ring that connected SC to California, police say

February 16, 2019 03:08 PM

Gamecock great Rick Sanford joins Kornblut’s new statewide SportsTalk show

February 16, 2019 12:13 PM

‘Living legend’ Friendship 9 member back at Rock Hill sit-in counter had this to say

February 16, 2019 03:09 PM

Dale Earnhardt Jr. mourns death of NASCAR artist who painted portraits of his dad

February 16, 2019 04:39 PM

Riverbanks zoo’s baby gorilla gets a name

February 16, 2019 10:05 AM

Read Next

Here’s what’s happening in York, Lancaster and Chester counties

Local

Here’s what’s happening in York, Lancaster and Chester counties

By Barbara Barkley

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 16, 2019 08:21 PM

This week’s events in York County

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LOCAL

USPS helps bust up marijuana ring that connected SC to California, police say

Crime

USPS helps bust up marijuana ring that connected SC to California, police say

February 16, 2019 03:08 PM
‘Living legend’ Friendship 9 member back at Rock Hill sit-in counter had this to say

Local

‘Living legend’ Friendship 9 member back at Rock Hill sit-in counter had this to say

February 16, 2019 03:09 PM
‘Please hurry:’ Police release emotional 911 audio from Rock Hill triple shooting

Crime

‘Please hurry:’ Police release emotional 911 audio from Rock Hill triple shooting

February 15, 2019 03:52 PM
Teen charged in Rock Hill sexual assault found driving woman’s stolen car, police say

Crime

Teen charged in Rock Hill sexual assault found driving woman’s stolen car, police say

February 15, 2019 08:51 AM
We’ve canceled the ‘Non Sequitur’ comic strip in The Herald and want you to know why

Latest News

We’ve canceled the ‘Non Sequitur’ comic strip in The Herald and want you to know why

February 15, 2019 12:23 PM
Fort Mill greenway visitors left with almost $10,000 in credit card charges, police say

Crime

Fort Mill greenway visitors left with almost $10,000 in credit card charges, police say

February 14, 2019 12:41 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Rock Hill Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Advertising Information
  • Place Obituary, Celebration
  • Place Classified, Legal
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story