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Record numbers of New Yorkers sign up for healthcare despite federal threats

Dec 21, 2017 2:45 pm
Glenn Blain reports in The New York Daily News that 4.18 million New Yorkers signed up for the Affordable Health Care plan as of Dec. 15, 700,000 more than last year’s number and a new record. Dec. 15 was the deadline for coverage starting Jan. 1, but open enrollment continues through next month, so the number will continue to grow. “There is still an appetite for this type of coverage and apparently a growing appetite,” said Bill Hammond, director of health policy for the Empire Center. On Dec. 20 President Donald Trump said, "Obamacare has been repealed in this bill," referring to the new tax bill passed this week. CBS News fact-checked that claim, saying, "The tax plan does end fines for people who don't carry health insurance, which is a big change, yes, but far from totally dismantling the law." The Trump administration has said that it will reduce funding for New York’s Essential Plan by about $1 billion and Congress has not authorized funding for Child Health Plus, which provides coverage for 364,000 children in the New York area. Read the full story in The New York Daily News.