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White House hoping for positive ObamaCare headlines in 2014

Fox News Channel's Special Report

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Obamacare has been saddled with glitches since its initial rollout on the first of October. Now that it's in effect, what can we expect? Chief Congressional correspondent, Mike Emanuel, takes a look at day one.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)


KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES SECY: A lot of people getting good health care in 2014.


MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Health and Human Services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, has a business related New Year's resolution with much of Obamacare, including the individual mandate taking effect. House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, Fred Upton, says the law itself cannot be fixed.


FRED UPTON, (R-MI) HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE CHMN: The bottom line is they were never ready for primetime. People across the country are getting sticker shock. They're seeing huge increases in the deductibles which, of course, that means it's going to be out of pocket costs in addition to the higher premiums that they had.


EMANUEL: Critics say there's also potential for a major disconnect with the government sending bad information to insurance companies and people finding out when they try to use their benefits they aren't covered. Sebelius told Fox there will likely be more challenges with an issue is complicated as health insurance.


SEBELIUS: People change plans every year. These are private plans in the private market. And you know, there are millions of people who change their insurance coverage every day. But we've done a lot of outreach with pharmacies and doctors and hospitals and consumers and hope to make the transition as smooth as possible.


EMANUEL: Not surprisingly, Democrats, including those at the White House, are emphasizing those receiving health coverage who haven't had it up until now.


JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECY: Now, know that if somebody in their family gets sick, they're going to be able to go see a doctor and they're going to have access to quality health care coverage that is available in the greatest country in the world.


EMANUEL: A New Year also brings a transformation and expansion of Medicaid from a program designed to treat the poor to cover a wider range of people. Nearly four million more people have been added to the program since October. And with 25 states and the District of Columbia expanding Medicaid, those numbers are expected to surge.


MERRILL MATTHEWS, INSTITUTE FOR POLICY INNOVATION: Medicaid is the worst health insurance program in the country, and yet, we just expanded it from roughly 50 million or a little more Americans to maybe another 16 or 20 million depending upon how many people move into the system.


(END VIDEOTAPE)


EMANUEL (on-camera): Lawmakers like Chairman Upton said they'll continue oversight in 2014 and expect there will be anger after Americans discover, in many cases, they lost the coverage they like, they lost their doctor. And for them, health care is now chaos -- John.


ROBERTS: The full story, Mike, yet to be told. Thanks so much.