In November alone, when open enrollment for 2017 began, more than two million Americans applied for Obamacare — more than 300,000 in the three day period from Nov 9 to 11. NJTV News Anchor Mary Alice Williams recently asked the Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Jackie Cornell how she accounts for that spike?
Cornell: I think what we’re seeing is what we’ve seen every year. People want the Affordable Care Act and the protections that it has and the election perhaps motivated some folks to say, “Yes, I need this. Yes, I want this. Let me sign up now.”
Williams: In New Jersey more than 65,000 people signed up for open enrollment. How do you see the numbers going for the rest of the open enrollment period which ends Jan. 31?
Cornell: Correct. So, we saw, as you said, a 15 percent increase in that same period of time from last year to this year. We have seen no signs of that stopping. Our store fronts are busy. We’re hearing that the phone number, the 1-800 number is busy, the website continues to be busy and as we head towards the deadline for enrollment for Jan. 1 — which is on Dec. 15 — we’re seeing that rate continue to increase as we head towards next week.
Williams: President-Elect Trump has threatened to repeal the Affordable Care Act in his first hundred days. How worried should people be that they’re going to lose their coverage?
Cornell: I think what’s really important for people to know are two critical things. First and foremost, governing and running are two very different things. And so, it bares to wait and see what President-Elect Trump will do. Secondly, when people enroll in a marketplace plan they’re actually buying into a contract with an insurance company. So, they are tied to that insurance company and the decisions of the president-elect may take many months, if not years, to actually impact that relationship with the insurance company.
Williams: And are these annual contracts?
Cornell: Yes, they are.
Williams: How would Republicans go about repealing the Affordable Care Act? It is so enmeshed in the United States health care system now and there’s so many aspects of it that are popular with people.
Cornell: So, it’s important to know that 20 million people now have health coverage because of the ACA that didn’t before. But there are hundreds of millions of us who have protections and cost savings because of the good work of the Affordable Care Act. And so consistently, as we’ve been hearing the political sway on the ACA for years, the president has said, “Look, let’s talk about ways to make it better.” But just taking something away from that many millions of Americans I think will be very difficult to do.
Williams: What about changing the Medicaid expansion, rolling that back?
Cornell: You know, that has been something else the president-elect has mentioned. However, Gov. Christie here has been outspoken and was one of you know, very open arms expanded Medicaid here in New Jersey because he knew it made sense for the state’s budget and it made sense for the people here in New Jersey. So, we’re optimistic that governors around the country have seen the benefits. Both in people’s lives, but also in the state budget pocketbooks that Medicaid expansion works.
Williams: The person who Mr. Trump has nominated to be the new secretary of health and human services has said that he would like to see less government intervention in health care. What does that mean to you?
Cornell: I think it’s difficult to say, again, what someone will do when they are speaking in front of the cameras and what someone will do when they’re head of a major department that millions and millions of Americans depend on. Let us not forget, that prior to the ACA, Medicaid and Medicare are also housed in the Department of Health and Human Services. So, there are millions more Americans, elderly, folks who are disabled, half the children born in this country are on Medicaid at some point in their early lives. Rolling all of that back, I think, is very easy to say and very hard to do.
Williams: What do you hope that the new people who come in take with them as they start this job?
Cornell: I have been thinking about the stories that I have heard over the years of doing this work. Of people who have been playing by the rules, who had health insurance and then when something catastrophic happened to them, they found out that their health insurance really didn’t have the protections that they thought they had. Those are the stories that I hold on to. Those are the stories that I hope the new administration hears because that’s what we are doing this for, right? It’s to help everyday people get what they deserve when they’re purchasing an insurance plan — that it’s strong, and it’s solid and it’s there for them when they get sick.
Williams: Jackie Cornell, thank you for being here.
Cornell: Thank you so much.