Thousands of New Yorkers Enrolling Daily as March 31 Deadline for Individuals Approaches
More than 70 Percent of New Yorkers Who Have Enrolled Since October 1
Were Uninsured at the Time of Application
ALBANY (March 10, 2014) – NY State of Health (NYSOH), the State’s official health plan marketplace, reported that as of 9 a.m. today, 908,595 New Yorkers have completed their applications and 590,639 have enrolled for coverage since the launch of the Marketplace on October 1, 2013. More than 70 percent of those who have enrolled to date were uninsured at the time of application. Over the last week alone, enrollment has increased by more than 55,000.
The NY State of Health open enrollment period for individuals runs through March 31, 2014. New York is on track to meet or exceed its enrollment goal of 1.1 million people by the end of 2016.
“As we approach the March 31 open enrollment deadline for individuals, activity on the NY State of Health marketplace remains very high, and we’re thrilled that nearly 600,000 New Yorkers have enrolled for quality, low-cost health insurance, and more than 900,000 people have completed applications since the Oct. 1 launch. Also, more than seventy percent of enrolled New Yorkers were uninsured when they applied,” Donna Frescatore, executive director of NY State of Health, said. “It’s important that all New Yorkers are aware that the open enrollment period runs through March 31, 2014. We encourage individuals to take advantage of the opportunities available on the Marketplace, and, for those who have completed applications, to select a health plan before open enrollment closes.”
New Yorkers continue to enroll each day through the Marketplace, and people who purchase their coverage directly are seeing premium rates that are 53 percent lower than the rates in effect in 2013 for comparable coverage. To further reduce costs, NY State of Health is making available financial assistance in the form of federal tax credits to help reduce the monthly cost of coverage. Nearly 70 percent of those who have enrolled thus far have qualified for financial assistance to help pay for their coverage. New Yorkers can access available plans, estimated costs, and financial assistance (for their county) by using the Tax Credit and Premium Estimator at: http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/PremiumEstimator.
NY State of Health Customer Service Center representatives have answered more than 760,000 calls from New Yorkers since the launch of the Marketplace. More than 8,000 specially trained and certified assistors are available in counties throughout the state to help people apply in person.
Plans offered on NYSOH are available in four easy-to-compare metal tiers (platinum, gold, silver, and bronze) from 16 qualified insurers and 10 qualified dental insurers. New Yorkers can see plans available in their area at http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/PlansMap.
The Small Business Marketplace offers small businesses with 50 or fewer employees a range of flexible options to meet their needs. Small businesses can access expert advice and enroll on NYSOH either online at https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/employer, by calling toll-free at 1-855-355-5777, or by contacting an insurance broker.
Individuals and families can get information and enroll in a plan either online at https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/, by calling toll-free at 1-855-355-5777, or in-person through a navigator. A list of community navigators can be found by county on the website.
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Contact:
The New York State Department of Health
518 474 7354, ext. 1