Gingrey: ObamaCare Enrollment Far Less than White House’s 7 Million Number

HEMMER: "Phil gingrey is here, president of the doctors caucus. Sir, how are you? And good morning to you."
GINGREY: "Good morning to you, Bill, as well."
HEMMER: "Gallup is just counting adults but the administration is including children. Does that make a difference sir?"
GINGREY: "It does make a difference. Because if you conclude every child on the s-chip program -- in Georgia that's called Peach Care -- and they would have had that anyway. But the most important thing is, I mean, the 7.1 million people who have signed up during this extended sign-up period include 20 percent who haven't paid their premiums, so that brings it down to about 6 million. And it is estimated maybe as many as 3 million of the people that signed up previously had health insurance, they had a private plan they liked, a plan that they had been promised they could keep it. They lost it, and had to go to the federal sponsored or state sponsored exchanges. And the average increase in premiums and deductibles is going to be horrendous especially for the 18 to 34-year-olds."
HEMMER: "You said a lot in your answer, and I want to dissect a little bit of it. But back to the headline, does this give the White House, does it give the Democrats ammunition that ObamaCare is working if you have a number of more Americans covered? Yes or no?"
GINGREY: "Well I think the answer is definitely no. If when we started the process in 2009, they were talking about, what, 45 million people that were uninsured. We knew that number was way too high."
HEMMER: "The number in 2010 was 30 million. And how it went to 45 million or beyond I don't know. But back to the point you made, it is true that it does include people who have not paid their first month premium. Now, how much of that 7 million did you believe that is who have not paid?"
GINGREY: "Oh Bill, I think -- it's not just me, it is Gallup poll, it's Kaiser Family Foundation, it's a number of other credible polls, not that I'm not credible -- but it is at least 20 percent. And that's of course why I pledged to the people of Georgia when I get elected to the United States Senate next November and sworn in next year I am going to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with truly affordable health care people can sign up for and we'll really bring those numbers down."
HEMMER: "Now, on that point, you know what the criticism is. They say they have not seen one Republican plan that the party has gotten behind. Where is it? And when will it be out?"
GINGREY: "Well, Bill, that is absolutely not true. I am co-chairman of the doctor's caucus in the House, there are 21 of us who are health care professionals in our prior life, and we have omnibus plans, the Republican Study Committee has a plan, Tom Price has a plan, and I have four different -- not 2,700 page omnibus bills, but -- plans to repeal the most a egregious aspects of this law, like IFAB, the so-called rationing board. The media is not really giving us the proper credit for having something to replace. Now whether --"
HEMMER: "I understand the point you're making. Now, can you take all of those plans, put it into one bill, and sell it?"
GINGREY: "I think we can. There is some discussion of that. That is above my pay grade at this point, but I know the leadership is thinking about that, I have talked to them about that possibility. I think we may very well do that."