A nice, simple, no-nonsense enrollment update from the DC exchange:

From October 1, 2013 to October 7, 2014, 60,771 people have enrolled through DC Health Link in private health plans or Medicaid:

•  15,110 people enrolled in private health plans through the DC Health Link individual and family marketplace.
•  14,486 people enrolled through the DC Health Link small business marketplace.
•  31,175 people were determined eligible for Medicaid coverage through DC Health Link.

That's an increase of 708 QHPs, 627 in SHOP policies and 1,983 in Medicaid.

A nifty summary of technical data points/specs behind the completely overhauled/revamped state ACA exchange website in Massachusetts after the first one failed spectacularly last year includes the following key points:

306,000 — the latest number of Massachusetts residents enrolled in temporary coverage. Will all these people need to get coverage through the state? No one knows, because there’s been no way to process their eligibility this year. But the total number of people trying to use the site during the three months of open enrollment could be around…

450,000 — which is 306,000 + the 100,000 or so people who are still in subsidized Commonwealth Care plans and another 33,000 or so residents who buy insurance through the Connector.

New Hampshire didn't start their ACA Medicaid expansion program until July 1st, and they haven't ramped it up at nearly as impressive a rate as other states like Kentucky, West Virginia or Michigan, but they're doing pretty well with it:

The state has estimated that 50,000 adults are eligible either through the state's managed care program for Medicaid or through a program that subsidizes existing employer coverage. Hassan says 20,035 have signed up since July 1.

According to the last official HHS enrollment report from back in May, as of April 19, 2014, Washington State had enrolled 163,207 people in private policies via their ACA exchange. Of those, 8,310 people never actually had their coverage start due to non-payment (WA requires payment of the first month's premium as part of the enrollment process, so I'm not sure what happened in these cases, but presumably there was some sort of credit card account approval glitch, insufficient funds in debit card accounts and/or the like).

In any event, that means the actual paid tally as of 4/19 was 154,897, or 95%, which is pretty darned good.

Well, a couple of days ago the WA exchange issued a press release regarding the renewal process for 2015, and included 2 key data nuggets. First up:

Just received the following email from a Kentucky resident. With his permission, I'm leaving out his name but am presenting it verbatim otherwise, with no further comment:

Thanks for discrediting good ol' Mitch. What a joke. I am a resident of Kentucky and here's how the ACA impacts my family with other opinions included for good measure.

We have read and heard the partisan battle waged for and against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Much has been written and said, but I live it. I experience it. But to truly evaluate it requires good old-fashioned common sense. For some reason, this has gone the way of bipartisan politics.

Since I am a consultant paid on a per hour basis, I do not receive nor do I expect to receive health benefits through my employer. We purchased our health plan through the Kentucky Health Exchange – KYNECT: a marketplace to purchase health plans created via the ACA. We chose a silver plan.

MONTHLY PREMIUM: $614/$7,368 (annual cost)

• Percentage of monthly take home pay: 16%

MONTHLY PREMIUM W/ ACA TAX CREDITS: $303/$3,636 (annual cost)

The L.A. Times, May 2nd, 2014:

Obamacare enrollment tracker Charles Gaba calls the House report "embarrassingly flawed" and, with uncharacteristic bluntness, a "pile of crap."

The Washington Post, July 22, 2014:

Charles Gaba with a typically blunt summary of the political meaning of today’s anti-ACA ruling:

The L.A. Times, October 15, 2014:

You should examine Gaba's annotation of McConnell's performance, which incorporates some well-chosen words not suitable for this family blog.*

Sam Baker at the National Journal has an excellent writeup of the technical improvements and limitations of the new HC.gov enrollment website. For the most part it's great news, as I noted a week or so ago. However, there's one key point which is important to take note of:

For starters, returning customers will have to use the old, 78-screen application. New customers can use a simpler, faster, and more streamlined 16-screen version.

Health and Human Services officials said the site will automatically fill in existing consumers' information, such as their address and income, to help speed them through the process even though they have to use a more cumbersome application. That makes sense, as long as consumers take the time to change pre-populated information that has become outdated.

Boy, this syndrome of Republicans seemingly forgetting that repealing Obamacare would mean that hundreds of thousands of the very people they're hoping will vote for them would have their shiny new healthcare coverage torn away from them seems to be spreading fast. I'm calling it "repealnesia".

First it was Joni Ernst, who wants to castrate 100,000 or more of her fellow Iowans by cutting their healthcare coverage out from under them with no plan on how (or whether) to replace it.

Then it was Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, who popped his head out to play an Obamacare-ACA-kynect shell game last night.

Now there seems to be a serious case of Cottonmouth down in Arkansas:

Yeah, I did a takedown of Mitch McConnell last night which gained some traction. However, that was more of a rant. Today, let's take a look at just how many times he flat-out lied about the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare", aka "kynect"), shall we?

The yellow highlights are lies by McConnell. The orange highlights are either questionable/confusing statements by either him or the moderator, or otherwise just noteworthy:

(Moderator Bill) Goodman: has Obamacare and kynect been a boon or a bane for Kentuckians? Senator?

Mcconnell: Kentucky kynect is a website¹. It was paid for by a $200 million and some-odd grant from the federal government. The website can continue. But in my view, the best interest of the country would be achieved by pulling out Obamacare root & branch and let me tell you why.

I'm pleased to announce that as ACASignups.net enters its' second year in operation, I've also started writing occasional pieces for healthinsurance.org:

Since 1994, healthinsurance.org has been a guide for consumers seeking straightforward explanations about the workings of individual health insurance– also known as medical insurance – and help finding affordable coverage.

The topic of insurance can be confusing, but we’re here with more information than ever: educational articles, expert health policy analysis, frequently asked questions about reform, a health insurance glossary, and guides to the health marketplaces and other insurance resources in each state.

I can't think of another publication outside of this one where what I do here is more appropriate. Looking at the list of other contributors, I'm honored to join their company.

My debut contribution to healthinsurance.org is an update regarding the citizenship/immigration data situation for Covered California enrollees...and the implications it may have for the rest of the country. Please take a look!