More than 43,000 New Yorkers have enrolled since March 31
ALBANY (April 7, 2014) – NY State of Health (NYSOH), the State’s official health plan marketplace, reported that as of 9 a.m. today, 1,264,859 New Yorkers have completed their applications and 908,572 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. The Marketplace is well on its way to meeting or exceeding its enrollment goal of 1.1 million people by the end of 2016.
Over the last week, 43,085 New Yorkers enrolled in coverage through the Marketplace. These enrollment figures represent those people who had taken steps to apply for coverage prior to the March 31, 2014 Marketplace deadline for individuals but were unable to complete the enrollment process by that date. NY State of Health will continue to provide additional assistance to individuals who began the application process by March 31. All applications and enrollments in health plans must be completed by the end of the day on April 15, 2014.
Activity remains high at the NY State of Health Customer Service Center with more than 55,000 calls answered over the last week. The Customer Service Center has answered more than 1 million calls since the launch of the Marketplace.
“The success of the Marketplace in year one continues, and we’re thrilled that more than 908,000 New Yorkers have enrolled in quality, low-cost insurance. We are well on our way to meeting or exceeding our goal of enrolling 1.1 million by the end of 2016,” said Donna Frescatore, executive director of NY State of Health. “As we approach the April 15 deadline for those who started their applications by March 31, we will continue to help individuals across the state to access the insurance coverage they need.”
With the exception of individuals who took steps to enroll prior to the March 31 deadline yet require assistance to complete their enrollment, only those individuals and families who qualify for a Special Enrollment Period will be able to enroll in coverage during the remainder of 2014. Special Enrollment Period qualifying events include getting married or divorced, gaining a dependent, losing employer insurance, or permanently moving into New York State. Individuals and families who do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period will not be able to enroll in coverage until the next open enrollment period, which begins on November 15, 2014 for coverage starting on January 1, 2015. New Yorkers eligible for Medicaid and all children can enroll in coverage through NY State of Health at any time during the year. NY State of Health’s Small Business Marketplace for employers with 50 or fewer employees is open to enrollment throughout the year.
NY State of Health website, the NY State of Health customer service center and certified in-person assistors will remain available to assist those New Yorkers who are eligible to enroll throughout the remainder of the year.
More than 8,800 specially trained and certified assistors are available in counties throughout the state to help people apply in person. 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.
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.
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Contact: New York State Department of Health