SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California™ announced today that 1 million
people statewide have enrolled in health care coverage in the exchange’s first
historic open-enrollment period, which ends March 31.
Covered California’s enrollment reached the 1-million mark late
Friday. By the end of Saturday, enrollment reached 1,018,315 in the health care
exchange marketplace. The figure represents the number of people applying for
coverage and selecting insurance plans for themselves and their family members
through the exchange.
“This is a historic threshold for our exchange, for the
state of California and for the nation,” said Covered California Executive
Director Peter V. Lee. “It speaks to the immense need for the Affordable Care
Act and the millions of people who have been waiting for affordable coverage.
We are pleased and privileged to be helping a million people find the peace of
mind that comes with having insurance.
“But we’re not stopping at a million,” he continued. “With
two weeks remaining in open enrollment, we can’t help but think about the
millions more in California who need insurance and may be missing out. We will keep
driving home our message about getting covered and encouraging people to sign
up now so they are not left out.”
While the last day of enrollment is March 31, Covered
California is calling on consumers to sign up as quickly as possible to avoid
the expected last-minute rush of applications that could slow the online
experience.
Covered California announced last week that enrollment
stood at more than 880,000 at the end of February and at 923,000 as of March 9.
Insurance plans are reporting that nearly 85 percent of enrollees have paid
their premiums, which is required for health care coverage to take effect. The
enrollment figures are well above the exchange’s highest projections last fall
of 696,000 in the first six-month enrollment period.
About Covered California
Covered California is the state’s marketplace for the
federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California, in
partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged
with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small
businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. With coverage
starting in 2014, Covered California helps individuals determine whether they
are eligible for premium assistance that is available on a sliding-scale basis
to reduce insurance costs or whether they are eligible for low-cost or no-cost
Medi-Cal. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan
that works best for their health needs and budget. Small businesses can
purchase competitively priced health insurance plans and offer their employees
the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax
credits.
Covered California is an independent part of the state
government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers.
It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and the Legislature.
For more information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
