Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Enrollment Numbers For State-Run Vs. Federal Exchanges Reveal A Great Divide
Most states that operate their own ObamaCare exchanges saw more people sign up in 2018 than last year, while 29 of the 34 states that rely on the federal government to promote enrollment saw their sign-ups fall. Of the 17 state-based marketplaces,聽11 saw enrollment increases: Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Nevada, Washington, Kentucky and Oregon while California, Idaho, Maryland, Vermont, Arkansas and New Mexico saw decreases. (Hellmann, 2/8)
Insurance enrollment via state-based health insurance exchanges such as Minnesota鈥檚 MNsure held steady for 2018, while sign-ups declined about 5 percent across the much larger group of states using the federal government鈥檚 HealthCare.gov website. The findings by the National Academy for State Health Policy raise a question about whether the intensity of outreach campaigns contributed to the difference, since the Trump administration limited marketing for the federal exchange while MNsure and other state-based groups maintained efforts. (Snowbeck, 2/8)
The number of people buying health coverage through the state鈥檚 insurance exchange remained steady this year, despite a chaotic start to the open-enrollment period. Officials at the Massachusetts Health Connector said Thursday that 252,786 residents signed up for 2018 coverage, about 6,000 more than last year. (McCluskey, 2/8)