'Now I’m forced to go into the D.C. health exchange,' said Bachmann. Bachmann: I lost my insurance

Rep. Michele Bachmann says she is one of the people who lost their health insurance because of Obamacare and she won’t go shopping on a health exchange until it’s fixed.

“Are you kidding? I’m not going to waste an hour on that thing,” the Minnesota Republican said when Wolf Blitzer asked her on CNN on Thursday if she’d signed up on the exchange website. “I lost my health insurance under Obamacare. And so now I’m forced to go into the D.C. health exchange. I’m waiting until they fix this thing. I’m not going to sit there and frustrate myself for hours and hours.”


Bachmann was referencing the continuing problems that have plagued the rollout of many of the health care exchange websites since they launched on Oct. 1. The White House has pledged it will be working for most users by the end of the month.

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Blitzer pressed Bachmann on when she would sign up, given the Dec. 15 deadline for anyone who wants coverage to kick in on Jan. 1.

“At some point we’re going to have to figure it out. I have a husband with very significant health issues. We have to have health insurance. So we will get it figured it out,” Bachmann said.

Appearing with her on the “Situation Room,” Democratic strategist Paul Begala seized on her comments about her husband’s health issues, saying she should be thankful for President Barack Obama’s health care law.

“Actually, we were just fine before,” Bachmann said.

Bachmann did not explain what about Obamacare caused her to lose her health insurance. The health law technically requires congressional staff go on the D.C. exchange, but it’s up to the individual congressional office to determine who qualifies as “official office” staff, so many Republicans have placed their aides on the exchange while Democrats have been split.

Bachmann’s office did not respond to a request for more information about how the congresswoman lost her insurance.

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