Jonathan Gruber in 2013: States without exchanges will cost residents

There are a number of clear similarities in these two statements. In both cases, Gruber is talking about states which have or have not embraced Obamacare’s exchanges. In both, he notes that “10 states” including California have moved forward aggressively. He also notes that some states are “doing nothing.” Those are the states he describes as “worrisome” in the 2013 statement and as a “threat” in the 2012 statement.

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Gruber does not spell out what will happen in those states which fail to set up an exchange in the 2013 interview. Nevertheless, he does say these states are “playing a terrible political game at the cost of their state residents in not developing exchanges.” What cost to residents is he describing?

One possible explanation is the same one that he gave in January 2012 (i.e. residents of states without exchanges would not receive subsidies). Given how similar the rest of his 2012 and 2013 statements are, that seems like a plausible reading.

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