In Vermont 31,619 consumers are enrolled in 2015 Health Insurance Marketplace coverage

Vermont Business Magazine In Vermont, 31,619 consumers selected or were automatically re-enrolled in health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace as of February 22, according to a report released today by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Of the consumers with a Marketplace plan selection, 62 percent (19,667 people) qualified for financial assistance to help with the cost of monthly premiums.

In Vermont, 8,980 consumers under the age of 35 are signed up for Marketplace coverage (28 percent of all plan selections). And 6,956 consumers 18 to 34 years of age (22 percent of all plan selections) are signed up for Marketplace coverage. These are below average for all the states. The state does have a higher enrollment of for children under 18, which could be related to Vermont's already low uninsured rate for minors.

(8) DC aligned its automatic renewal process with the Federal 2015 open enrollment process. Individuals automatically renewed needed to effectuate enrollment by December 15, 2014 to be considered enrolled, otherwise DC canceled their coverage. DC removed terminations and cancellations from their data for automatic re-enrollees, but did not remove them for new enrollees or active re-enrollees. (14) Vermont automatically renewed all Marketplace consumers for coverage beginning January 1, 2015, with payment for coverage due 21 days after automatically renewed consumers were sent an invoice.

Vermont also has a relatively low rate of participants getting financial assistance (80.8 percent nationally versus 62.2 percent Vermont).

Vermont is also ahead of most other states as it started sooner, which shows up in fewer new enrollees (43 percent-US, 14 percent-VT) and more re-enrollees (57 percent US, 87 percent VT).

Vermont is in a smaller group of states that have their own administration, rather than piggybacking onto the federal platform, so the comparisons are not exactly "apples to oranges."

(7) Vermont data for application numbers include withdrawn cases, but do not include test cases.

“The figures released today tell a storyof health coverage consumers rely on for financial and health security,”said Secretary Sylvia M Burwell. “In Vermont 19,667 Marketplace consumers qualified for tax credits to make their coverage affordable and accessible. People who come to the Marketplace for coverage are actively engaged and shopping for the product that’s best for them and their families. The Affordable Care Act is working and we’re grateful tothe volunteers, assisters, navigators, local officials, Members of Congress and many national organizations who joined this effort across the country.”

Nationwide, nearly 11.7 million consumers selected a plan or were automatically enrolled in Marketplace coverage. Of those, 8.84 million (76 percent) were in states using the HealthCare.gov platform and 2.85 million (24 percent) were in the 14 states (including Vermont and Washington, DC) using their own Marketplace platforms. Nearly 7.7 million individuals with a plan selection in the states using HealthCare.gov qualified for an average tax credit of $263 per month and more than half (55 percent) paid $100 or less per month after tax credits.

Nationwide, more than 4.1 million consumers under the age of 35 are signed up for Marketplace coverage (35 percent of all plan selections compared to 34 percent of plan selections at the end of 2014 Open Enrollment). And nearly 3.3 million consumers 18 to 34 years of age are signed up for Marketplace coverage. As in 2014, that’s 28 percent of all plan selections.

Today’s report includes data for individuals who selected or were automatically re-enrolled in coverage through Feb. 21 for 12 states and Washington, D.C. using their own Marketplace platforms and through February 22 for the 37 states using the HealthCare.gov platform (including Oregon and Nevada), as well as California which is a State based Marketplace.

Today’s report does not include information on effectuated enrollment. To have their coverage effectuated, consumers need to pay their first month’s health plan premium.

Open Enrollment in the Marketplace ended on February 15. Consumers should visit HealthCare.gov to see if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period because of a life change like marriage, having a baby or losing other coverage. Enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program is also open year round.

Visit HealthCare.gov to learn more. Find local help at: Localhelp.healthcare.gov/. Or call the Federally-facilitated Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855- 889-4325. Translation services are available. The call is free.

To read the monthly enrollment reportvisit: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2015/MarketPlaceEnrollment/Mar2015/ib_2015mar_enrollment.pdf

Source: HHS. 3.10.2015