State-run health exchanges report surge in enrollment in November

[TomCADem]

Source: Denver Post

State-run exchanges report surge in enrollment. After anemic enrollment in the federal health insurance marketplace, several states running their own online exchanges are reporting a rapid increase in the number of people signing up for coverage.

By mid-November, the 14 state-based marketplaces reported data showing enrollment has nearly doubled from last month, jumping to about 150,000 from 79,000, according to state and federal statistics. The nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, which has been tracking the data, called the most recent numbers "a November enrollment surge."

The latest figures from the state-run exchanges, combined with totals on the federal exchange, brings the national number to at least 176,000. Although the pace of enrollments increased this month, sign-ups are still well below early projections. The numbers for healthcare.gov have not been updated in November.

On Friday, the Obama administration announced that it is giving consumers an extra week in December to sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1, in light of troubles with federal enrollment. Insurers worried that the change would not give them enough time to process applications.


Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_24588528/state-run-health-exchanges-report-surge-enrollment-november

[jtuck004]

1. Just for context, projections...

...
"With regard to exchange enrollment, it is important to remember that there are both initial government projections versus actual outcomes. The government projections have been a moving target. The Obama Administration initially projected 14 million enrolling in 2014. The Congressional Budget Office, however, now predicts just 7 million in 2014 and 25 million by 2018. The Administration has since adopted these lower projections. In contrast, in September, Wall Street projects just 4 million enrollees in 2014"
...

Here

176K is .025 percent of the last WH projection. The "actual" matters a great deal as premiums get adjusted, the amount of outlay by the taxpayer changes, etc., insurance cos and stockholders count their profits, etc., based on that number.

[George II]

2. That's .025% more than republicans wanted

[Hestia]

3. That's the way I understand it too - people either need to go back and finish their insurance

provider to go to the state exchanges, but 176k in *all* states? Maybe Colorado, but that can't be correct being the US numbers. 60k have signed up in our state alone and we're nothing in population. The State is trying for 500,000 just on Medicaid alone by the end of March 2014.

[Yo_Mama]

4. This is private insurance only - Medicaid not counted. n/t