218K Ohioans sign up for insurance
They enroll in coverage under federal health plan.
A total of 218,047 Ohioans enrolled or were reenrolled in health plans sold under the Affordable Care Act this year in time for their coverage to begin on the first of next year, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
That ranked Ohio at No. 12 nationally for enrollment this year at HealthCare.gov, the online portal for sign-ups in Ohio and 37 other states with federally facilitated online health insurance exchanges, known as health care marketplaces.
About 188,000 Ohioans had already gained marketplace coverage under President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, commonly known as Obamacare, before this year’s open enrollment period began on Nov. 1, according to HHS.
Overall, more than 8.2 million Americans have signed up for health coverage through the HealthCare.gov platform or had their coverage automatically renewed. That’s up from 6.4 million sign-ups on HealthCare.gov at about the same time last year. And those figures don’t include millions of Americans signing up on staterun marketplaces.
The final deadline for enrollment for 2016 coverage is Jan. 31, but Dec. 15 was the original deadline to sign up for coverage that will take effect on Jan. 1. A last-minute surge in enrollment forced federal officials to extend the deadline.
“The unprecedented demand and the millions of new customers who have signed up for health insurance send a clear message: The marketplaces meet an important need that had gone unanswered for too long,” stated HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
Many of those enrolling were young people who are critical to the success of the marketplaces, which depend on young, healthy premium-paying members to offset the medical costs of sicker enrollees. As of Thursday, about 2.1 million people under the age of 35 had signed up for plans sold on HealthCare.gov, Burwell said.
Consumers who enroll after last week’s deadline will have plans that take effect in February or March.