Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/290721
By Erica Werner The Associated Press WASHINGTON » Three mil- lion Americans signed up for Medicaid under Presi- dent Barack Obama's new health care law as of the end of February, the administra- tion said Friday, offering its first full accounting of how much the safety-net health program has grown since implementation of the law. Many were newly eligible because of the law's Medic - aid expansion, while others already eligible but not yet enrolled came forward due to publicity around the law and its requirement for individu - als to carry insurance or risk paying a fine, analysts said. It brings to around 62 mil- lion the total number of peo- ple covered under Medicaid and the Children's Health In- surance Program. The 3 million figure is in- complete because some states didn't report their numbers. But together with the ad- ministration's announce- ment that more than 7 mil- lion Americans had signed up for private insurance through the law's new on- line marketplaces, it allows administration officials to boast that the new program has already covered 10 mil - lion uninsured Americans. About half the states have accepted a Medicaid expan- sion in the health law, and Se- belius said the administra- tion would continue to work to get more states on board. Although open enrollment just ended for the private health plans offered through the health law's online ex - changes, people can sign up for Medicaid anytime. Three million is signifi- cantly lower than the num- ber of people the admin- istration previously said were "determined eligible" for Medicaid under the law. But the new number sifts out duplicate applications and renewals to arrive at a solid figure. AffOrdABlE cArE AcT He al th c ar e bi ll h el ps add 3 million to Medicaid By connie cass The Associated Press WASHINGTON » Americans thinking about buying health insurance on their own later this year, or maybe switch - ing to a different insurer, are probably out of luck. The pol- icies are going off the mar- ket as a little-noticed conse- quence of President Barack Obama's health care over- haul. With limited exceptions, insurance companies have stopped selling until next year the sorts of individual plans that used to be avail - able year-round. That locks out many of the young and healthy as well as the sick and injured, even those who can afford to buy without government subsidies. "Now they're stuck," said Bonnie Milani, an indepen - dent insurance broker in Los Angeles, who says she warned her customers last year that the change was coming. "It just closes ev - erything down." T he nex t w ide - op en chance to sign up comes in November, when enroll - ment for 2015 begins in the government-run insurance marketplaces created by the health care law. Companies are following that schedule even for the plans they sell outside the federal and state exchanges. The health care law al - lows insurers to keep sell- ing all year. But it also cre- ates the conditions prompt- ing them to stop. The law, which requires nearly all Americans to be insured or pay a fine, bans insurers from rejecting customers because of poor health. The companies say that makes it too risky to sell to individuals year-round. "If you didn't have an open enrollment period, you would have people who would potentially enroll when they get sick and dis- enroll when they get better," said Chris Stenrud, spokes - man for insurer Kaiser Per- manente. "The only insured people would be sick people, which would make insurance unaffordable for everyone." The change makes indi - vidual policies work more like the job-based plans that already cover far more Americans. But those who act fast may still be able to get in this year, depending on where they live. Following the lead of the government marketplaces, some companies are extend - ing off-marketplace sales for a week or a month to help people who hit snags trying to enroll by last Monday's deadline. Rules vary from state to state. After those extensions, el - igibility for coverage during 2014 is guaranteed only for people who experience cer- tain qualifying life events, such as losing a job that pro- vided insurance, moving to a new state, getting mar- ried, having a baby or losing coverage under a parent's health plan. Insurance broker Steve Bobiak of Frackville, Pa., said he learned only a cou - ple of weeks ago that insur- ers were cutting off new pol- icies. "It's lousy communica- tion out there," he said. "If we don't know, my God, how do they expect other people to know? It's terrible." A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation in mid- March found that 6 out of 10 people without insurance weren't aware of the Afford - able Care Act deadline of March 31. The Obama ad- ministration, insurance com- panies and nonprofit groups scrambled to spread the word, often with messages that focused on the savings available to many people through government-subsi - dized plans sold on the mar- ketplaces. There wasn't much public discussion about people who prefer to buy policies outside the state or federal market - places, sometimes finding better deals or options more to their liking. Health and Human Ser - vices spokesman Aaron Al- bright pointed to a note bur- ied on the HealthCare.gov website: It says "in some limited cases some insur- ance companies may sell private health plans outside the marketplace and out- side open enrollment" that satisfy the law's coverage mandate. It doesn't say how to find any companies doing that. Albright had no further comment. INSurANcE Even the healthy locked out of 2014 policies now Many insurance company health plans go off the market until next year Charlie riedel — The assoCiaTed Press elizabeth rich helps a man sign up for the affordable Care act on March 31 at swope health services in Kansas City, Mo. The Associated Press SAN dIEGO » Two smug- gling tunnels stretching hundreds of yards across the U.S.-Mexico border were found by a U.S. task force working with Mexi - can law enforcement coun- terparts, federal authori- ties said Friday. One per- son was arrested. No contraba nd wa s found in connection with the tunnels, which linked warehouses in Tijuana, Mexico, with warehouses in an industrial park in the Otay Mesa area of San Di - ego, according to a state- ment from U.S. Immigra- tion and Customs Enforce- ment's Homeland Security Investigations. The first tunnel, stretch - ing about 600 yards, was discovered Tuesday. It was described as being equipped with lighting, a crude rail system and wooden trusses. The en - trance on the U.S. side is inside a warehouse where a cement cap covered a 70-foot shaft. A pulley sys - tem was installed to hoist goods into the building, which was filled with chil- dren's toys and boxes of televisions. The other tunnel, lo- cated Thursday, stretches more than 700 yards and was built with more so- phisticated features in- cluding a multi-tiered elec- tric rail system and ventila- tion equipment. SOuTHErN cAlIfOrNIA 2 tunnels found under border with Mexico Landscape/Fence Steve's Tractor & Landscape Service • Fence Building • Landscaping • Trenching • Rototilling • Disking • Mowing • Ridging • Post Hole Digging • Blade Work • Sprinkler Installation • Concrete Work Cont. 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