Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sign-Ups Stagnate In State Exchanges This Year
Obamacare-loving California led the nation in embracing the health-care law, and in enrolling its citizens for 2014 coverage. This year, however, sign-ups for private health plans in California, New York and other states that opted to build and run their own insurance markets has stagnated. Yet in more conservative parts of the country that declined to participate and where enrollment is run by the federal government, sign-ups have surged. (Wayne, 2/23)
Florida managed to sign up or renew 1.6 million people by the end of open enrollment this month, in spite of state leaders’ unabashed disdain for the health care law. The figure is the highest in the country, even ahead of Texas, which has a larger population and a higher uninsured rate, and big states like California and New York, which are running their own exchanges but have seen new enrollment level off. (Pradhan, 2/23)
Monday was the last day of open enrollment to buy health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector, the state agency that serves people who don’t get coverage from an employer. But Connector officials say their work is far from over. (Freyer, 2/24)
Thousands of people are still waiting for tax forms from MNsure, but health exchange officials say the final batch of delayed documents soon will be in the mail. MNsure is in the final stages of sending about 35,000 forms that list the value of tax credits for those who bought private health plans through the exchange for 2014. (Snowbeck, 2/23)
Just over 110,000 people signed up for private insurance plans through the state’s health insurance exchange, Access Health CT, during the open enrollment period that ended Feb. 15, according to figures released by the exchange Monday. (Levin Becker, 2/23)