40 insurance policies canceled for every ObamaCare enrollee

Five million Americans and counting across the country have already received notices that their health insurance plans in the individual and small group markets are being canceled as a result of ObamaCare. So far, Andrew Boron, Illinois’ insurance commissioner, has not yet revealed how many Illinoisans are facing the same situation, despite calls from both...

Five million Americans and counting across the country have already received notices that their health insurance plans in the individual and small group markets are being canceled as a result of ObamaCare. So far, Andrew Boron, Illinois’ insurance commissioner, has not yet revealed how many Illinoisans are facing the same situation, despite calls from both sides of the aisle to do so.

What we do know is that, nationally, for every person who has signed up for ObamaCare, 40 have lost coverage. Illinoisans deserve to know how many more people may become uninsured Jan. 1, 2014, when these policies are no longer around.

Understandably, federal and state lawmakers are trying to do something about these canceled plans. But the bottom line is that there is little reason to believe that much of this damage can be immediately reversed.

The president called on state insurance commissioners, along with insurance companies, to continue offering the canceled policies for another year. Legislation sponsored by Republican Michigan Congressman Fred Upton passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday. Upton’s bill calls for reinstating canceled policies indefinitely. While this is preferable, there is no reason to believe that the president will sign the legislation if this were to pass the Senate, much less that many of these insurance companies would reinstate canceled plans.

Illinois lawmakers should, instead, direct their attention to Boron. While he has been noncommittal on what steps he might take, Boron ultimately holds the authority to make determinations about whether canceled plans can be reinstated. But even if insurance companies do receive permission to reinstate their plans, there is nothing compelling them to do so.