FOX "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" - Transcript: Affordable Care Act Enrollment

Interview

Date: March 29, 2014

RETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: This week, the White House touting that six million Americans have signed up for ObamaCare. No mention though of how many actually paid for ObamaCare. But is there more to the story? Something the Obama administration is not telling us? House Republicans say there is evidence suggesting the administration also knows who has paid his first premiums despite telling Congress otherwise.

REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN BRADY joins us. Good evening, sir.

REP. KEVIN BRADY, R-TEXAS: Thanks, Greta.

VAN SUSTEREN: OK. Well, there is a March 25th letter that was sent to Secretary Sebelius in which you use -- use words from the committee like, at best, evasive and perhaps misleading. They then responded the next day, which is sort of unusual. Usually, these letters don't get answered. Tell me, why do you think -- what makes you think the administration knows how many have paid for ObamaCare and are not telling?

BRADY: Yeah. Well, it's important to know because it gives you a more true picture, accurate picture of just who is being helped and what's the mix of those that are in the ACA. The reason we think they have been evasive is that we discovered a portal, with which they communicate to insurance companies since December, which is where they insist insurance companies provide them with the number of those who have enrolled and those who have paid as well. And so they have, if not a precise, a very accurate picture of who actually has paid. It could be as much as 20 percent off of these gross numbers that they are giving to the press. I guess the bigger issue is, if they have had it now for more than two months, why aren't they releasing it to the public.

VAN SUSTEREN: It's interesting. The March 26th response to committee's letter, it says, "Until the automated payment and reporting system is completed and fully tested." It sounds like -- that's an admission that they don't each have that worked out yet, four years later.

BRADY: Well, they really don't. The oddest to this, is we asked, from the date that the insurance companies gave you on those who have paid, what is the accurate number. There answer is, well, we don't get that information from individuals. Well, yes, we know that. You get it from the insurance companies who have the individual policies. So we think this continues to be evasive.

And I think the two big questions are, one, how many have paid. That's a more accurate picture. And, also, how many were -- are new insurance holders? In other words, how many were kicked out of the plans they have and are just using this now, forced into this as a substitute? That can be equally significant, if not more.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. We only have a minute left. Why not take some samples? If the government won't tell it you, drop some subpoenas on some of the major insurance carriers and ask them to bring that information, because certainly they have that information.

BRADY: Well, they do. And in fact, they have made public some of it. And what they have shown is between 15 and 20 percent of those who have enrolled, have not paid that first premium. They changed their mind or found out it wasn't affordable. So we know the numbers are roughly in those areas. And then we -- some believe, when researched, that only 20 to 25 percent who have plans now have new insurance. The rest of them actually had insurance before. So both of them really paint a different picture of this enrollment than what the White House is saying it is.

VAN SUSTEREN: Representative, thank you, sir.

BRADY: Thank you, Greta.


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