Latest Obamacare Outrage: New Enrollees Haven't Visited A Doctor Yet

Early days of Obamacare bring trickle, not flood, of patients

BY SHARON BEGLEY AND LEWIS KRAUSKOPF
NEW YORK Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:47pm EST

(Reuters) - U.S. medical providers are seeing only a trickle of patients newly insured under President Barack Obama's healthcare law, as insurers, hospitals and doctors try to work out any hitches in coverage.

More than 2 million people have signed up for new private health plans that took effect on Wednesday under the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. While some of those consumers were already lining up doctor visits last month, early reports from providers and an online medical booking service show the demand for care has been modest so far.

I swear the concern troll coverage of Obamacare is becoming laughably more absurd with each new headline.

Earlier this week we were gravely warned that Obamacare would overwhelm the healthcare system. ("Oregon study proves that Medicaid expansion will worsen Hospital Emergency Room burden.") Even though the truth is, over the past two years, Oregon has actually seen a decline in Medicaid emergency department visits this past year.

Now we're being informed, that Obamacare is not overwhelming the healthcare system enough.

Two million people who just got health insurance on New Year's Day, have not simultaneously flash mobbed doctors' offices yet, so that means something must be terribly wrong with Obamacare and there really was no demand for affordable healthcare coverage.

Yes, two million people just signed up for health insurance for the fun of it. There can be no other explanation, otherwise why aren't they in a doctor's office right this minute, and in fact, in a doctor's office every day until they draw their last breath?

You have to wonder what is the motivation for fear mongering and concern trolling about healthcare security being extended to millions of people who have never had it, by members of the media, many of whom have enjoyed adequate health insurance for themselves and their families for years.