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Insurance Exchanges: March Results and Next Steps
Health Insurance Marketplaces (or Exchanges) established under provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had a six-month enrollment period in each state. Open enrollment was defined as Oct. 1, 2013 through Monday, March 31, 2014.
Enrollment Deadlines: For most individuals and families, the deadline to purchase an individual market policy has passed for 2014; all exchanges or marketplaces will begin selling 2015 policies as of Nov. 15, 2014. However, on March 26, HHS officials issued procedures for those that attempted to buy health insurance, but miss the March 31 deadline. Some will be able to apply for a temporary extension, described in Guidance for Issuers on "
People “In Line” and for "
Complex Cases." These situations may allow them to complete the enrollment process into April, or in some cases, May 2014.
- Read NCSL's summary of federal rules at:" Open Enrollment Extension With "Special Enrollment Period "
- There also are several standard exemptions, exceptions and "life events" that allow individuals to make new Marketplace or privaite market health insurance purchases for 2014 between April and November. [Material updated April 2014]
- For latest developments, see NCSL's State Actions to Address Health Insurance Exchanges - with a 50-state table updated for March 26, 2014. This compares state legislative steps, operational structures and funding, and includes direct links to all state-specific and state-administered exchanges. [PDF].
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Medicaid and Marketplace Outreach and Enrollment - Millions of people are expected to gain health insurance coverage through Medicaid expansion, new health insurance marketplaces, financial subsidies, and other coverage initiatives. Here you will find state legislation and efforts to attract and enroll newly eligible individuals into health coverage. Published by NCSL, Mar. 24, 2014.
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Early Rx Use Results in ACA Exchanges, by Express Scripts, April 2014
Marketplace Open Enrollment Process by the Numbers* -
- According to the Fact Sheet dated 4/17/2014, released by the White House:
- 8 million people signed up for private insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace. For states that have Federally-Facilitated Marketplaces, 35 percent of those who signed up are under 35 years old and 28 percent are between 18 and 34 years old. These numbers happen to be "virtually the same youth percentage that signed up in Massachusetts" in 2007, their first year of state health reform run by the Massachusetts Connector.
- 3 million young adults gained coverage basd on the Affordable Care Act by being able to stay on their parents plan.
- 3 million more people were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of February, compared to before the Marketplaces opened. Medicaid and CHIP enrollment continues year-round.
- 5 million people are enrolled in plans that meet ACA standards outside the Marketplace, according to a CBO estimate. When insurers set premiums for next year, they are required to look at everyone who enrolled in plans that meet ACA standards, both on and off the Marketplace.
- 5.7 million people will be uninsured in 2016 in the 24 states have not expanded Medicaid.
- An earlier compilation, from April 1, reported enrollment reached 7.1 million according to a White House announcement. It was also reported that, on March 26 "more than 1.5 million people went to HealthCare.gov, and another 430,000 called one of the call centers." New: Medicaid through Exchanges: Enrollment report - released by HHS Apr. 4, 2014
- EXAMPLES: APRIL STATE UPDATES IN THE NEWS:
* Sources and disclaimer: All enrollment statistics have been tallied and reported by federal, state or other documented sources, as noted. NCSL is not responsible for the reported numbers or any opinions or interpretations contained in third-party articles or links.
Added Rule Will Offer Subsidies for Insurance Policies Bought Outside Exchanges
In a changed policy announced Friday, Feb. 27, 2014, HHS officials agreed to authorize premium subsidies retroactively for insurance purchased in the private market. The change came in response to Oregon's request because of serious delays and errors that occurred with the Cover Oregon website over several months. You can read the HHS Guidance memorandum, "CMS Bulletin to Marketplaces on Availability of Retroactive Advance Payments in 2014 Due to Exceptional Circumstances." This can mean payments may be available in most states, because technical problems had prevented consumers from using the online exchanges.
Additional Resources
NCSL Resources
Federal Resources