Even with a burst of activity on the state and federal health insurance exchanges during November, numbers released Dec. 11 by the Health and Human Services department indicate that the Obama administration may not be on track to meet the goal set by the Congressional Budget Office – insuring 7 million individuals by Mar. 31, 2014, the end of the current open enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
But Michael Hash, director of the HHS Office of Health Reform, said in a briefing with reporters, "We’re on track." Americans still have 6 months to enroll, he noted, and the expectation is that most people will sign up towards the end of that period.
healthcare.gov
According to HHS's mid-December enrollment report, 364,682 individuals selected a health insurance plan from a state or federal exchange in October and November.
According to HHS’s mid-December enrollment report, 364,682 individuals selected a health insurance plan from a state or federal exchange in October and November. The bulk of those (227,478) used a state-based exchange, while 137,204 signed up via the federal exchange, which operates in 36 states. The biggest proportion of overall sign-ups came in November, with 258,497 selecting a plan in the state or federal exchanges.
The numbers include consumers who have paid their first health insurance premium as well as those who have not.
About 2.3 million Americans have been determined to be eligible to enroll in a marketplace plan, but only 364,000 have actually selected a plan. Of the 2.3 million, 41% (944,531) are eligible for financial assistance. That number includes people who didn’t apply for financial assistance, who applied for financial assistance and were found ineligible, or those whose applications for financial assistance are pending, according to the HHS report.
Further, just over 803,000 consumers have been determined to be eligible for coverage from Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Enrollment has increased in part because of improvements to the federal exchange website, healthcare.gov. Mr. Hash said. "Healthcare.gov is night and day from where it was on October the first," he said in comments made in advance of testimony by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a hearing called by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee.
Overall, 83% of completed applications were done electronically, either through healthcare.gov or a state exchange website, or online when individuals applied at a community center or some other assistance location.
Mr. Hash also said that demand for exchange plans continues to grow, citing increasing visits to the federal and state websites and calls to the call centers.
Since Oct. 1, there have been 10.6 million visits to state exchanges and 1.7 million calls to state call centers. There have been 28.4 million visits to healthcare.gov and 3.4 million calls.
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