LAT on Covered CA: No mention of mass cancellations, sticker shock

25 Nov, 2013 by Chris Reed

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So Chad Terhune of the L.A. Times does a story on Covered California that notes the state’s version of Obamacare:

1) Isn’t doing that well signing up young people, who are essential to the economics of the Affordable Care Act, despite a heavy marketing campaign aimed at them.

2) Is having trouble signing up Latinos, who are a primary target of the ACA.

The story mentions that Kaiser Permanente has signed up 8,250 state residents. It doesn’t mention that Kaiser has cancelled the policies of 160,000 such residents. Nor does it mention that while 80,000 people have signed up with Covered California, more than 1 million Californians have had their policies cancelled.

The story has one anecdote about premiums, and it is a positive one:

“San Jose couple Rosario and Justine Consiglio, both 57, say they were surprised at how much they saved when they enrolled in a Gold-level plan from Blue Shield of California last week. Their monthly premiums will drop from $1,100 now to $850 next year, helped by a premium subsidy. And they will pay far less out of pocket for prescription drugs and other medical expenses.

“This is a much better healthcare plan than we had previously, and we’re paying a lot less,” Rosario Consiglio said. “I wasn’t sure how all this would affect us.”

What about the evidence that Californians in general will pay far more under Obamacare? It’s never mentioned.

And how does Chad Terhune describe this overall picture in the lead? He depicts Covered California as being off to a great start, a “bright spot” for the Obama administration nationally.

Sigh. This isn’t journalism. This is ideological cheerleading.