Georgia saw one of the biggest drops in Obamacare enrollment across the country with nearly 94,000 fewer people signing up for health coverage this year compared with 2016.
That’s a 16 percent decline — the fourth biggest drop among states that use the federal health insurance exchange Healthcare.gov, new federal data shows.
Georgia's enrollment drop mirrors a nationwide decrease in sign ups for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act insurance exchange. Roughly 9.2 million Americans signed up for 2017 coverage, a 4 percent drop from last year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The numbers don't include enrollment in states that run their own insurance exchanges, such as California.
The drop in coverage comes after the Trump administration pulled advertising to promote HealthCare.gov in the days leading up to the end of open enrollment when there is typically a surge in sign ups as people rush to meet the deadline.
Consumer advocates decried the move saying it would cause some people who could have signed up for coverage to remain uninsured.
"There is no doubt that enrollment would have been even higher if not for the uncertainty caused by political attacks on the law, and the Trump Administration's decision not to provide consumers with all of the resources and support available to help them enroll," Anne Filipic, president of consumer advocacy group Enroll America, said in a statement.
The GOP’s calls to rapidly repeal the health care law — without a replacement plan at the ready — have raised concerns over the stability of the Obamacare insurance exchanges going forward.
But President Trump on Sunday, in a pre-Super Bowl interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, seemed to reflect a growing recognition among Republicans in Washington D.C. that repealing and replacing Obamacare could take not weeks but months.
“Maybe it’ll take until sometime into next year, but we are certainly in the process,” Trump said. “Very complicated. Obamacare is a disaster.”
OBAMACARE ENROLLMENT
These 5 states saw the biggest percentage drops in Obamacare signups
Louisiana: -33 percent
Mississippi: -19 percent
Alaska: - 17 percent
Georgia: -16 percent
Missouri: - 16 percent
Source: Department of Health and Human Services
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