HHS SAYS HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE ENROLLMENT HITS 4.2 MILLION

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 
Enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace climbs to 4.2 million in February
27 percent of February Federal Marketplace enrolled are young adults

Enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace continued to rise in February to a five-month total of 4.2 million.

As in January, the percent of young adults who selected a Marketplace plan was 3 percentage points higher than it was from October through December (27 percent versus 24 percent).  Based on enrollment patterns in other health care programs, it is expected that more people will sign up as we get closer to the March 31st deadline.

“Over 4.2 million Americans have signed up for affordable plans through the Marketplace,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Now, during this final month of open enrollment our message to the American people is this: you still have time to get covered, but you’ll want to sign up today – the deadline is March 31st.”

Key findings from today’s report include:

More than 4.2 million (4,242,300) people selected Marketplace plans from Oct. 1, 2013, through Mar. 1, 2014, including 1.6 million in the State Based Marketplaces and 2.6 million in the Federally-facilitated Marketplace. About 943,000 people enrolled in the Health Insurance Marketplace plans in the February reporting period, which concluded March 1, 2014.
Of the more than 4.2 million:
55 percent are female and 45 percent are male;
31 percent are age 34 and under;
25 percent are between the ages of 18 and 34;
63 percent selected a Silver plan (up one percentage point over the prior reporting period), while 18 percent selected a Bronze plan (down one point); and
83 percent selected a plan and are eligible to receive Financial Assistance (up one point).
Today’s report details state-by-state information where available.  In some states, only partial datasets were available.

The report features cumulative data for the five-month reporting period because some people apply, shop, and select a plan across monthly reporting periods.  Enrollment is measured as those who selected a plan.