Obamacare Enrollment Through California State and Federal Exchanges Begins

Prof. Mathews, interviewed on KTLK AM 1150, the David Cruz Show, notes that states, like California, that strongly supported the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and established their own exchanges, had far higher rates of health insurance enrollment than states that were not supportive of the law. These states, like Texas, refused to set up state exchanges and had to rely on the federal exchange system, which had a technically rocky roll out. In the first month, California enrolled 35,000 people; Texas enrolled less than 3,000. 

Mathews also explained why many Americans' bare boned health care plans were cancelled because they did not meet Obamacare's coverage standards, despite the President's earlier assurances that people who like their health care could keep it. 

Mathews suggested that the government should subsidize the purchase, by these people, of the higher priced, higher coverage plans required by the Affordable Care Act. Professor Mathews pointed out that the Health Care Industry had contributed $33,000,000 (opensecrets.org) to Congressional campaigns in the 2013-14 election cycle alone.

Mathews continued, saying that with this kind of special interest influence over Congress, it is not surprising that President Obama was not able to include his "public option" (government funded non-profit health insurance, as a choice for those who would prefer it) in Obamacare. Also, a single-payer Medicare for all health care system, which Mathews says would be the simplest and most efficient system, was never seriously considered by the President or the majority of Congress, because of the campaign funding and lobbying inflluence of the Health Care Industry.