Open Enrollment Part Deux is working as HHS is releasing early data (via the Washington Post):
nearly half of those who have just signed up for insurance do not currently have coverage through the federal insurance marketplace. That group — 48 percent of 462,000 who picked a health plan during the week that started Nov. 15…
In the first month of last year’s sign-up period, slightly over a half-million people completed insurance applications through the federal marketplace, and nearly 30,000 then went on to choose a health plan. The new figures show that this time, in the first week, just over 1 million people completed applications and almost half of them picked a health plan….
The new data do not include 14 states, including Maryland and the District, that are running separate insurance marketplaces under the law.
So roughly 220,000 new enrollees and 242,000 re-enrollees in the first week on Healthcare.gov for 2015 compared to a nationawide first month total of 106,185 from all sources in 2013.
What does this mean?
The short version is that things are working very nicely.
The longer version is that 220,000 new enrollees from Healthcare.gov probably implies close to 300,000 total new enrollees once the state exchanges are factored in. This would be 12 times the rate of 2013 which would be impressive if Healthcare.gov and several of the state exchanges were not totally fubared for two months. There is a decent chance of half a million new enrollees and a million re-enrollees by the end of this weekend.
And then that is when the back-end of Healthcare.gov will start getting a work-out.
Medicare is currently at the tail end of their annual open enrollment period. Traditionally the Monday after Thanksgiving is Medicare’s busiest day by far for Open Enrollment as people have had a chance to talk with their family about their options as well as a looming deadline (December 7, 2014 this year) forces action. I think the same dynamic will be in play for new enrollees although the deadline for January 1, 2015 coverage will not be until December 15. Re-enrollees will be auto-re-enrolled if they do not make a choice by December 15. So by Christmas, 2 million new enrollees and 6 million plus re-enrollees will be receiving ID cards for January 1, 2015 coverage. After that, we should have a quiet period as the next soft deadline is January 15 while the hard deadling is February 15.
Patricia Kayden
Thank you President Obama. I wonder when Dems will start to take pride in passing the ACA.
workworkwork
Just renewed my coverage for 2015 this morning. There were a couple of items I was confused about, but I called our state exchange and spoke with a navigator. True to his job title, he guided me through and I was done in less than ten minutes.
I ended up choosing the same level of coverage (my current plan will no longer be available) and my premiums are up about $40/month. (I don’t qualify for subsidies.)
I’m a happy camper.
West of the Cascades
How does the “new enrollment” figure count Oregon enrollees who enrolled for 2014 on the execrable Cover Oregon exchange but have to enroll for 2015 on healthcare.gov? I’m one of those (I haven’t picked a new plan at healthcare.gov yet). I’m assuming that it would not count someone like me as a “new enrollee” but just curious.
Another Holocene Human
Richard, it is really funny to me to see the Farnsworth meme on genuinely encouraging news.
Comrade Nimrod Humperdink
I fixed the poison slime pipes! Oh sorry, wrong topic….
rikyrah
Once again, thank you for your informative post.
Ben
Yes, Thank you,