14,000-plus Texans pick insurance exchange plans
AUSTIN, Texas —
About 14,000 Texans enrolled for health insurance in October and November on the embattled federal online exchange, nearly five times more than successfully navigated the site during its rocky opening month, but still a tiny tally for such a large state, according to figures released Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that Texas trailed only Florida and its nearly 18,000 signups over the same two-month period for the highest number of enrollees among the 36 states relying on federally run health insurance marketplaces.
In all, 14,038 Texans selected a plan between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, while almost 118,600 applied, seeking coverage for more than 244,700 people — including themselves and others, like spouses and children.
The numbers are improving from the site's problem-plagued opening weeks: Only 2,991 Texans managed to select a health insurance plan in October. Because the state has the highest rate of uninsured Americans — more than 23 percent — there's still a long way to go.
More at http://www.statesman.com/news/ap/legislative/14000-plus-texans-pick-insurance-exchange-plans/ncHkf/ .
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